


Don't you know I'm no good for you? (I've learned to lose)

by Fangirl_in_distress



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies), Disney - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha Harry, Alpha Mal (Disney), Alpha Uma (Disney), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Angst, Bad Parenting, Beta Evie (Disney), Bigotry & Prejudice, Dark, Eventual Fluff, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, Everyone Has Issues, Fluff and Angst, Hate Crimes, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Multi, Omega Ben (Disney: Descendants), Omega Carlos de Vil, Omega Gil (Disney: Descendants), Omega Verse, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, Sexual Violence, Triggers, Victim Blaming, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:20:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 28
Words: 167,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21978730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirl_in_distress/pseuds/Fangirl_in_distress
Summary: The Isle was hard for everyone, but things were really hell if you were an omega living there. Just ask Gil, he should know since he has experienced every terrible thing that place had to offer.At least things are looking bright now he is in Auradon.Or, the one where Gil, Jay and Carlos discover polyamory and other good things in life. Which is also the one where Harry and Ben discover that opposites attract or some other romantic cliché shit.
Relationships: Ben/Harry Hook, Evie/Mal (Disney), Gil/Jay (Disney: Descendants), Gil/Jay/Carlos de Vil, Jay/Carlos de Vil
Comments: 212
Kudos: 242





	1. Don't wanna let you down, but I am hell bound.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic can be really fluffy sometimes and really dark other times. THERE ARE MAJOR TRIGGERS IN THIS FIC, especially regarding sexual assault and other types of violence. So, please, please, please be safe and don't read if this will make you feel bad in any way.
> 
> That being said... the main relationship here is between Jay, Gil and Carlos. I'm not polyamorous myself, but I did a little research on polyamory, but PLEASE tell me if I describe something wrong or offend someone.  
> They are not dating in the beginning of the fic, but their relationship will be, if my research is correct, a triad (all three are involved) but also a hierarchical relationship where Jay is the primary partner to both Gil and Carlos, BUT Jay doesn't have a primary (they're equal to him). Hope this covers it all!  
> Enjoy! ♡
> 
> WARNINGS FOR THIS CHAPTER: Self Victim blaming, references to rape, references to assault, references to neglect and abuse, characther with low self-esteem, bigotry

Gil/Jay/Carlos, Benry A/B/O

The first you need to know about the Isle of the Lost is that it was terrible for everyone. All people had to eat were Auradon's leftovers, poverty was everywhere, people were always both desperate and ruthless and, of course, the most wicked ones were the ones who had more control.

But no matter how terrible the Isle was for everyone, it was especially cruel to omegas. You see, evil Alphas take whatever they want, and sometimes what they want is an omega to hurt. There was always some kind of depravation happening in all corners and alleys of the Isle, but many of these actions weren't consensual encounters.

Omegas were judged unworthy and too fragile for most stuff, but to be one and survive the Isle you needed to be stronger than any Alpha could ever be. The constant harassment and sexual abuse, catcalling, brute force and Alpha voices used against them and the derogatory terms were the norm.

People were so focused on surviving that hell hole that even those who did not condone this kind of horror couldn't do much to stop it.   
  


That is until, of course, Mal and King Ben decided to open the doors of Auradon for everyone. Just after that, they also called off their engagement , deciding to stay just friends. Mal decided that, even though Ben was the cutest Omega her Alpha self had ever seen, being Queen just wasn't for her. And honestly, they were already treating each other more like best friends than lovers, anyway.

So, Ben focused on making Auradon a better place for everyone, including the new comers. He ordered that a prison was made for people who hurt others from now on, but everyone's past mistakes were forgiven.   
However, Ben couldn't even imagine how bad it really was for people from the other side and how much trauma they had to bear. 

** GIL **  
Gil was just so happy they could stay in Auradon from now on. King Ben had even allowed Uma to stop the ship on the pier, so all three of them can keep living there if they wish.

Gil never imagined he would manage to left the island. Many of the other children dreamed about it all the time, but not him. He considered himself lucky enough to be part of Uma's crew, he couldn't even think about wanting something different from that. They had helped him when he was at his worst and more helpless state, so all he wanted from life was to be by their side.

But that was _before_. Now, he gets to be in Auradon, where there are grapes and berries and chocolate, _and_ still be part of the crew. How wonderful was that?

And then there was Jay, who was... in a loving relationship with Carlos. Really, they are so cute together and Carlos is such a good and smart omega, who completely deserves to be with someone as amazing as Jay.

But, still, whenever Gil looked at them he wished he could be part of that. Which was stupid because he wouldn't be someone's _mistress_ or something. He knows he is low, but he isn't that low. He wouldn't dare ruin a perfect relationship like that, both of these people were his friends, goddamnit!

So, no matter how hard it was to resist Jay's tender smiles and soft hair, Gil wouldn't ever even consider getting involved with an Alpha who is already in a relationship. He refuses to be the whore he got told he was.

"Hey!" Of course, Jay wasn't going to make it any easier on him. "I'm so glad you guys decided to stay here! I have so many fruits to show you!"

There it was. That weird feeling in his belly whenever Jay smiled at him.

"Yeah... I'm happy too. Everything in Auradon is so much prettier and tastier!" He tried not to sound too excited about everything but he just couldn't. He's never been happier.

"C'mon, let's get something to eat." The Alpha said, pulling Gil by the arm.

They sat in one of the cute little white tables that were set up around the school yard and Jay pulled a small pot from under his jacket.

"This is what a melon actually looks like!" He exclaimed, opening the pot to reveal a light yellow fruit that didn't look like a grape in the slightest.

The omega felt his cheeks warm up, both from being offered food and from being embarrassed for not knowing how different these fruits are. It sounds like such a basic thing...

"It doesn't look like a grape. I'm sorry for being dumb about it." He said. "But thanks, Jay. It was sweet to give me this."

He frowned at Gil. As if he couldn't really understand what the omega just said. Evil, did he said something stupid again?

"You aren't dumb. There were things I didn't knew before Auradon either." He reassured. "But it's fine. I can, I mean, we can show you all cool things from here now."

Gil smiled at that, still blushing.   
Well, so much for not falling for Jay... 

**HARRY**  
Harry was just walking around, minding his own business and exploring the new place when a scene made him take a double take.

The Jafar's boy was all laughing and heart eyes, eating some kind of weird fruit with Gil.  
immediately, Harry entered protective mode. He knew that boy was dating Cruella's son, hell, everyone in the Isle knew that. And he had the audacity to try to flirt with Gil openly like that? Did he feel good knowing he could break an omega's heart whenever he wanted? Or worse, did he think he could take Gil as a side lover? The boy was soft and pure and didn't deserve to be used like that.

Harry wouldn't have any of it. It was his and Uma's job to protect Gil. They had already failed once, and oh, how badly had they failed, so they could not do it again. He could still remember like it had just happened...

⚓  
"Uma! Uma!" The pirate screamed. "Open the damn door!"

A few seconds passed, while Harry Hook still pounded the door of Ursula's restaurant, and Uma harshly opened it, a look of annoyance on her face.

It took only a moment for her to soften, realizing how desperate the boy looked.   
"What the hell is eve-" She started to ask, but was interrupted mid-sentence.

"It's Gil." He said, breathing hard. "My father's crew have hurt him."

As if on cue, a loud thunder was heard and it began to rain.   
You see, at that time, the ship belonged to Captain Hook. Gil, who had to do something to take care of himself since his father pretty much kept ignoring his existence, and Harry were the only kids in the crew. The rest were all men who were somewhat friends with Harry's dad.

Uma wasn't a pirate yet, even though she dreamed about being one. Captain had some feuds with Ursula, so he didn't allow Uma to be part of the crew.

"What do you mean?" The girl asked, but she was pretty sure she knew the answer already and she was deeply dreading it. An omega alone in a ship full of mean old men, most of them Alphas...

"They... they hurt him. I walked in... on them hurting him like..." His cheeks were flustered, you could see he wasn't thinking clearly. "Like Alphas hurt omegas in back allies. Like... perverts hurt whoever they can overpower."

Harry's eyeliner was all messed up and she couldn't tell if it was the pouring rain or if he was crying.

"Fuck. What did you do?"

"Yelled at them to back the fuck off and never touch him again. But I'm pretty sure they won't listen to that part." He said. "We need to take Gil and leave. This island will fucking kill us!"  
"You know as well as I do Auradon won't rescue us. There's no way out of this place without magic, buddy."Uma said, trying to make Harry see reason. "But I'll tell you what we can do: help Gil. Where is he?"

"I don't know. He just took off running when I started yelling at the other pirates." He said, realizing how bad it sounded. "Did I screw this up?"

Uma bit her lip. That was surely a possibility, but she couldn't have Harry having even bigger of a breakdown.  
He was the emotional one and she was the rational one; that was how they had always been.

"No, it's fine. He couldn't have gone too far. Let's look for him." She said and he agreed.   
The least they could do was get Gil to calm down, but they needed to find him first.

So they went looking for him in the middle of the storm. They searched around the docks and yelled his name until they were almost erratic with worry.   
Both knew that they wouldn't be giving up until they found their friend, but their bodies were already aching and it was starting to get counterproductive to just run aimlessly.

Then, Uma heard a small sniffle from behind a dumpster in one of the alleys she kept entering and running back and forth.   
"Gil? Is that you?" She asked. "Please, come out. We need to talk to you, everything is fine. We just need to talk, ok?"

Slowly, the omega who was working hard to make himself as small as possible, uncurled from himself and stood up, still not facing her.

"Harry! I found him!" She screamed, knowing her friend was nearby.

"Gil? Oh my God, we were looking for you for so long! Where were you?" Harry said, running towards them.

Gil had his eyes downcast, looking sad, but it wasn't a big surprise, was it? This might be the kind of thing that happened to omegas all the time, but it didn't mean that they were anywhere close to getting used to it.

"I'm sorry. I'll just go... I'll find another place to hide and you'll never see me again. I'm so sorry... " Gil said, with red cheeks and red eyes.

"What? No! Why'd you do that?" Harry asked.

"You don't need to be mean about it, Harry. I don't wanna say it." He answered, but given a few seconds of stunned silence he felt as if he had no other choice. "Fine, I know I'm dirty and I'm a whore and you guys won't want me around now that you know too. I promise I won't bother you guys again, just... let me go."

Harry just murmured a quick "fuck" under his breath. Well, this was worse than expected.   
"Gil... we don't want you to go. They hurt you, they should be the ones who are ashamed. Not you." Uma said.

Harry couldn't believe how surprised Gil looked. He really thought they would just turn their backs on him?

"But... why would you guys want to hang out with me after that? I was stupid to think I could be a pirate, I don't deserve to be called that. " He insisted. "You know how weak I am now, guys. I'm sorry."

"No, Gil, screw that. We don't think you're weak." Uma clarified. "We just want to help you, ok?"

"Yeah... look, Gil, give me the name of every man who ever hurt you on that ship. I'll go to my father tomorrow first thing in the morning and insist that he kicks all of them out."

Gil broke down at that. He went full sobbing and Uma had to hold him so he didn't fall to the ground. It seemed like he wanted to talk, but the tears just wouldn't let him.   
Uma had an extremely bad feeling about what this could mean exactly, and Harry could see the fear in her eyes. He just hadn't caught up to the thought yet.

"Gil, it's okay. Breathe, alright? What's wrong?" She asked.

"The captain knows!" He yelled, still ugly crying. "H-he's the one who s-started it..."

Harry was seeing red. He had never been so angry in his whole life and that's saying something. He wasn't this angry when he found out his mother had left him and his father, he wasn't this angry when a crew mate told him he was too young to be a proper pirate and he wasn't this angry the first time that his father used the hook against him, as a punishment.

Everything seemed to be falling apart. Gil was still sobbing and repeating "I'm sorry" like a mantra, but Harry's fury was too deafening for him to pay attention.

He always knew his father wasn't a good man. They were on the Isle, after all, weren't they? He was a man who had devoted most of his life to trying to kill a child for revenge. He was cold and merciless, and he expected Harry to be just like him. He slept around, stole, had no shame and those were most likely the reasons why Harry's mother decided that she had to leave and never look back.   
But _this?_ Harry never thought this was a possibility. He should have known. He should, but he didn't. He should have known, but how could he even imagine that his father would be this cruel? This repulsive?

"I'm s-sorry, Harry! I'll go n-now, I'll just..." Gil tried to speak through the tears again. That made Harry pay attention to his surroundings again.

"No. You don't need to go anywhere." He said, trying to speak calmly through the anger. "If my father thinks that's how you treat your crew, then he's got no fucking idea on what it means to be a pirate. Or a man, really."

"It's okay if you're angry, Harry." He insisted, defeated. "I know this is bad. Evil, I slept with your father!"

Harry clenched his jaw, which Gil clearly mistook as anger directed at him.   
"This isn't you sleeping with my father, Gil. " He said, full of confidence. "This is my father _raping_ one of my best friends."

Using that word was uncommon on the Isle. People didn't want to call it that, it sounded too clinical, it made things feel real. Nobody liked to feel like a victim, it made you easy prey, and that's exactly what the word did.

However, Harry needed to use it. He needed Gil to understand what was happening, how damn mad he was at Hook, not at him.

After neither of them saying another word, Uma decided to take charge of the situation:

"Okay, clearly, today was a rough day. So why don't we all go to my house, Gil takes a shower and sleeps on his thoughts a bit, huh? I bet you'll feel better." She offered. "I'm sure my mother won't mind we all sleeping in my room, as long as we're all quiet."

Gil looked like he was just too exhausted to fight, so he gave a weak nod and accepted Uma's support to walk straighter. Harry just followed them quietly, not knowing what to say or do.

They reached the house and went up the stairs on their tippy toes not to bother Ursula. Really, her rage was the last thing any of them wanted to deal with at that moment.

As Uma and Harry boiled some water buckets for Gil to bathe in warm water for once (since, of course, Auradon wouldn't allow the Isle to have a luxury like showers with hot water), they kept exchanging exasperated looks, until the boy decided to speak up:

"What are we going to do? We can't let my father get away with this."

Something changed in her posture at that. In this moment, she became a woman with a mission. And Harry knew that Uma was force of nature when she had her mind set on something.   
Seeing the look on her face, he could breathe a little bit easier, knowing that Gil _would_ get the justice he deserved.

"I'll tell you what we're going to do." She said, as enraged as Harry felt. "We're going to take that fucking ship from him. We'll kick him and all of his disgusting buddies out of there for good."  
⚓

So, to put it briefly, Harry was very protective of Gil and if this guy thinks he can just appear out of the blue and take advantage of Gil being a little naive, he's got something coming.

So Harry walked up to them, with a glare as sharp as a knife, and made his presence known:  
"Well, hello. What exactly do we have here?" He said, with his best 'unstable' look, keeping eye contact with Jay.

"Harry!" Gil looked slightly spooked. "Do you want a piece of melon? It's, hm, really sweet..."

"I'm fine. But Jay here is such a good doer, aren't ya? A few months in Auradon already teached you to share, hm?" He said, getting closer to his face.

Gil looked embarrassed, Harry was not sure why, and Jay looked somewhere between confused and uncomfortable.   
Well, he is _supposed_ to be uncomfortable.

"He was just being nice, Harry." Gil answered.

At that, the pirate rolled his eyes. Really?  
"Such a nice guy, huh, Jay? I bet your boyfriend thinks so." Harry said. "Where is he, by the way?"

"He's studying in our room." Jay answered, frowning. "Not that it is relevant to you in any way."

Oh, so he wanted to pretend he was doing nothing wrong? Really, he was overestimating Harry's patience.

"Rude." He replied, laughing. "Well, I think that you should leave Gil alone and go see if your boyfriend needs you."

Jay kept looking at him as if that was confusing and too much to ask, but he wouldn't back down. He needed to stop this right away, before it went too far.   
Gil would never be a plaything for someone else again, Harry would make sure of that.

Jafar's boy was reluctant at first, not really being the type to resign, but he stood up, said his goodbyes to Gil and left with a quick murmuring of 'weirdo' behind his breath. 

**GIL**  
He was so _ashamed._ Goddamn it, he was officially an Auradon citizen for less than a week and was already messing things up for himself.

He wasn't trying to flirt with Jay, _he wasn't._ He is not that type of omega, he wouldn't kiss him or take him to bed. But... Jay is so kind and handsome and attentive that Gil just got carried away.   
And now Harry had witnessed him being _easy_ for Jay, laughing and flirting and accepting his food. God, how disappointed he must be.

Since what happened with the old crew, Gil had made a promise to himself that he would do anything to make Uma and Harry proud of having him in their ship. He would prove himself as a useful and worthy member of the crew everyday.

But clearly, this is not the case, since he can't help but behave as an absolute whore rather than a respectable pirate. Not for the first time, Gil wonders why they ever put up with him.

"Harry... I'm sorry for that." He said, in a small voice, fearful.

But Harry just shook his head.   
"You did nothing wrong." He assured. "Just be sure to watch out for that one. He smells like trouble."

Gil frowned at that. So his friend wasn't mad at him, but at Jay? No, this couldn't stay like that. Jay is a good guy, it's Gil who has this _way_ of being himself that keept attracting trouble.

"Jay is a good person." He insisted, but it didn't seem to convince Harry all that much.

"We'll see about that." He said. "But try not to risk too much. Things are finally looking good for us, for you. You deserve better."

Gil really wanted to say the last part was a lie, that if Harry knew how Gil really felt about Jay he'd never be allowed in the ship again, but he kept quiet.

Harry sighed, probably noticing that the omega was starting to look sad.  
  
"That guy is a player." He said. "Just trust my word. It takes one to know one..."

At that, Gil decided to stay quiet. Yeah, Harry was quite like that, but he wasn't a bad person either. He slept around, but only with people who _wanted_ to sleep with him. And, unfortunately, you can't say that for half the Alphas on the Isle.

But they weren't on the Isle anymore and if anyone wanted to touch anyone by force, they'd probably be sent to the new prison King Ben built.

"So, what do you say we forget this whole thing and go back to the ship?" Harry suggested.

Gil nodded. That was probably for the best, he needed to stay away from Jay before his crush became something more concrete.

"Fine. But don't tell Uma." He said. "Please."

Harry looked slightly confused, as if he couldn't see a reason for that.   
Wasn't it obvious? Gil didn't want to disappoint Uma too.

"I won't tell her if you don't want me to." He said. "But you need to remember that you did nothing wrong, ok?"

Gil knew Harry genuinely believed that, but he was convinced he was wrong. He was already a dirty omega, who had the chance to start over, he couldn't go around making this kind of mistake.

He may not ever find an Alpha that want him for who he is, as a whole, but that doesn't mean he should lower himself to the point of flirting with Alphas that were taken. He could have a good life just being part of Uma's crew and eating berries in Auradon, he didn't need any of that.   
This isn't who he was and this was definitely not who he wanted to be. This wasn't who he'd promise he would be.

So the plan was simple: Stay Away from Jay.   
_Easier said than done..._

**BEN**  
Ben was just casually walking around, seeing if things were going smoothly. He has done that a lot since they let the people from the Isle in.

It hadn't been easy. Most ex-Isle residents didn't even know what to do at first and, unfortunately, not everyone in Auradon had been very warm and welcoming.

Contrary to what some people thought, there weren't villains trying to take over or any major incident: Ben had been clear that anyone, from the Isle or from Auradon, who hurt others or disrespected other important laws would go to prison. They were so happy with their newfound freedom that they wouldn't risk it.  
And if anyone did risk it, they would be judged and punished fairly. In a way that wouldn't make their children have to pay for their mistakes.

Anyway, in the middle of one of his usual peace check-ups, Ben wandered close to the pier and ended up seeing Gil and Harry just as they were arriving at their ship.

"Hey, guys. How are you? Liking Auradon so far?" He said, a bit awkwardly. He never knew how to make small talk about the new rules without being weird about it.

What do you say to people who technically did nothing wrong, but lived a cursed life full of misery just because your father didn't know how to deal with their fathers?

"It's very nice, King Ben!" Gil said, excited. "All the fruit here are so good. All we had on the Isle was rotten fruit and not as many different kinds."

Ben always felt an even deeper ache when he thought about Gil suffering on the Isle. The boy was a little ball of sunshine and didn't deserve all the bad things he's sure the Isle had. Also, let's be honest, Ben's also sure one of the main reasons his father created the Isle was to find somewhere where he could let Gaston rot, so...

"You can have all the fruits you want, Gil. And, please, you don't need to call me King. "He said, then added an afterthought. "I mean, except if the fruit already belongs to someone else. Then, please, don't take it."

Harry let out a faint laugh at that.

"Worried that we'll start a fruit-stealing revolution, yer highness?" The Alpha asked.

"Hm, no. I... no. I was just making sure that I..." Well, Ben is awkward both at some kinds of diplomacy and in front of handsome Alphas. Sue him.

Then Harry let out a stronger laughter, really having fun at seeing the king stutter. It was a beautiful sound.   
"Relax, yer highness. I'm just playing with you." He said, still amused.

"Don't be mean to him, Harry. " Gil complained. Ben hoped it was because he genuinely didn't like Harry's joke and not because he was afraid that upsetting Ben would lead to them being kicked out of Auradon.

"So... how are you feeling about the school? Adjusting well? " Ben asked.

"It's fine, I think." Gil said, scratching his head a little. "I'm not very good at math or english. Geography makes me confused and chemistry makes my head hurt! But, hm... I really like Goodness 101."

"It's ok, Gil. You will get used to school soon, talk to me if you need help. What about you, Harry?"

"Well, you see... I kinda didn't show up yet." He answered, not sounding like he cared all that much.

"What, Why? Is this because you're afraid you're not going to adjust well there?" The king asked. "Because if it's that, then I assure you that-"

Harry let out a chaotic, almost sinister, little laugh. What's it with this guy and a thousand different ways to make laughing look hot?

"I'm not _afraid_ that I might not fit in with a bunch of princes. I know I won't." He answered. "I just don't see why I need this crap. I'm good where I am right now, I'm not going to college or ruling a kingdom."

Ben frowned. He gets that adapting can be hard, and, well, there weren't colleges on the Isle so most VKs didn't have this ambition, but that doesn't mean school isn't important.

"That's not all school is about. You can still learn new things, meet new people and, well, get at least a high school degree." He insisted.

The Alpha didn't look that much interested.   
"Look... If you don't go soon, it'll be harder to catch up later. Both Uma and Gil are going, couldn't you just... go for a couple of weeks and see what you think?"

"Why you're so interested in me attending classes, huh? Can't wait to see me again?" He said, making Ben blush a little.

"Harry!" Gil complained at his friend's inappropriate behavior. "Don't be like that."

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding." Harry said, hands up in a defensive gesture. "Ok, yer highness, I'll go tomorrow and see how it goes."

Ben smiled his one-million-dollars smile, happy with his accomplishment.   
"That's great! It will get a little boring, but you will spend more time with your friends and even make new ones." Ben promised.

"And lunch is awesome! And free!" Gil added. 

N E X T D A Y  
** GIL **

"It will be fine, Harry! Stop complaining!" Uma was saying. "Most of them would rather see us dead than in the same room as them, and, yes, most classes are boring as hell, but it's a thousand times better than that crappy building they had the audacity to call school on the Isle."

"I get it, I get it. But I'd rather literally..." Gil was sure Harry gave an answer that actually made sense, but he tuned out the second that Jay and Carlos entered the hall, hand in hand.

He couldn't help but stare. They fitted perfectly and if he was a better person he'd just be happy for his new friends, and yet here he was. Watching them and wishing he could be there, holding Jay's other hand.

But he couldn't. He had a new objective: to stay as far away from Jay as possible. Even if it hurt him, it was better than becoming something that would disgust himself even more.

"Hey, Gil. You're also going to Goodness 101?" Jay asked, the two of them coming closer.  
Goddamn it, why did Jay make this harder on him?

Gil was caught off guard, so he just nodded.

"Cool, so are we. You wanna come with us?" It was Carlos who offered, which only made Gil feel more guilty.

And because he was, like a guy from the old crew told him once, _a weak pathetic little_ _bitch_ he did the wrong thing and said yes.

Uma and Harry were so focused on their bickering about exactly how boring school was and how annoying people from Auradon were, that they didn't even notice this interaction happening. And they also didn't notice when Gil left.

He walked quietly beside them, feeling like a third-wheel but worse somehow.

The classroom wasn't very far, so he didn't have to go through that for too long.

He ended up sitting right next to Jay, which wasn't his initial plan for the day at all, but things were already getting out of hand pretty fast, anyway.

The thing is, Gil wasn't listening to a word that Fairy Godmother was saying. Even though this was his favorite class, he couldn't help but spend most of the time thinking about Jay, and sometimes glancing at him.

He didn't know why he was like this. He didn't even know Jay that well, they may be friends, but not super close. They barely talked to each other on the Isle, even though Gil admits the first time he noticed how cute Jay was he was like 14, and now he can't stop thinking about the guy?

He needs to stay even closer to Harry and Uma. If something happened, Harry would stop it immediately, just like he did the day before.   
Gil's heart is making a big mess of everything, so maybe he isn't the best person to take care of this. He needs to rely on his friends.   
And once more he wonders why they put up with him anyway...

"How about you, Gil? Can you answer the question?" Fairy Godmother asked, but he most definitely could not.   
He wasn't paying attention to anything else since the moment Jay appeared in the hall way.

Gil felt all eyes burn on him. He hated the attention, especially now that he had no idea what was expected of him.  
"It's ok, sweetie, you can think for a little while." She insisted, with a nice smile on her face.

He gulped. Well, it wasn't like anyone was expecting him to actually give a smart answer, was it?

Before he could just blurt out something random, he noticed that Jay seemed to be mouthing something to him.   
He looked at him discreetly and noticed it was a "letter c".

"I think... hm... letter c?" He answered, unsure.

"Bippidy bobbidy that's right!" The teacher exclaimed, excitedly.

Gil let out a huff of air he didn't even know he was holding.   
This was stupid. Why get so nervous? People from Auradon don't seem to expect much from him, it wasn't like he would disappoint Fairy for not saying the right thing. Or was it?

He mouthed a small "thanks" back at Jay once the teacher stopped paying attention to him and Jay gave him the brightest smile in response.   
There was something magical about Jay's smiles, he swears.

Gil decided to try his best to focus from there on and mostly succeeded, except for one or two quick glances at Jay here and there.

The bell ringed and Gil practically ran from the classroom. Next period was lunch and he needed to get his food and then get the hell away from the cafeteria before Jay and Carlos could reach him.

He took his plate and began walking aimlessly through the campus. It was so big and he was always getting lost.   
Eventually he noticed that there was a small hill, still on school ground but barely, that seemed welcoming enough. There was no one there, except a big three that could give him shadow.

He went there and decided it was the perfect spot: he had a great view from all school and everything was so quiet. It was perfect for him to put his head in place.

In all that peace and quiet, alone with his own thoughts, Gil could almost cry from how careless and stupid he kept being. He was supposed to stop feeding these feelings, not to keep glancing at Jay during class.

He was so caught up in his own thoughts he didn't even notice when King Ben approached.

"Gil?" He asked, making said boy jump. "Sorry. It's just... usually I'm the only one who comes here."

Gil took the hint immediately, standing up and getting his things. He should have known that a place this beautiful wasn't for filthy peasants like himself, but for royalty.

"I'm sorry, Ben. I didn't know it was your spot." He said.

The king's eyes widened.   
"What? No, no, you can stay! I was just surprised. " Ben insisted. "There is more than enough room for both of us."

"Are you sure?" He asked, still conflicted.

"Absolutely!" The king said. "I usually come here because I like the view. Or when I want to think a little."

"It's very beautiful." Gil said. "Everything in Auradon is so beautiful!"

That seemed to make the king's face fall a little. Gil frowned.   
"You always do that." He said. "When I say something good about here you get all sad."

"I'm really happy that you like it here, but... it always makes me think about how bad the Isle must have been. And it makes me feel guilty. "He answered. "That place was like that because we allowed it to be like that."

Gil felt sorry for him. Ben didn't need to feel guilty for a place that was created before he was even born. He decided to tell him so.

"It's ok. You don't have to feel guilty for something you didn't do."

"So I don't get to even feel guilty for what my father did, but all of you guys had to pay the price for what your parents did? This doesn't sound right..." Ben complained.

"Ben... our parents are bad people. It's okay, we all know it." He said. "Your father just didn't know what to do with them."

There was a brief period of silence, Gil was not sure if the King got tired of the conversation or if he was just thinking, when Ben added:  
"So, how is your father, by the way?"

Ah, right. Awkward small talk, then.

"I guess still not over your mom." He answered, then realized how disrespectful that probably sounded and got nervous. "Sorry! That wasn't, I'm ... that was... "

But the other omega just laughed.   
"It's fine. " He said. "Does he... talk to you about her a lot?"

"He talked about himself all the time, but... yeah, sometimes he talked about her too. "

Gil wasn't going to mention how that talking was non-linear. Some days, Bella was the one that got away. The most beautiful omega in the world, who should have married Gaston, the most handsome Alpha in the world, and not some feral beast.   
But some days, when Gaston was angry, she was an ungrateful little bitch who didn't even deserve him in the first place. A pathetic omega who couldn't handle an Alpha as perfect as Gaston. He was sure she got her crazy idea of marring a beast from one of her stupid books or something.

Gaston was seriously against omegas reading and having an education, he was sure that was the problem with Bella. Thank God, Gil already knew how to read when he presented.   
Or not, since it wouldn't have made a difference after what his dad did when he presented as omega...

"It doesn't matter. The last time I saw him was years ago, anyway." Gil settled with saying that instead.

Ben seemed shocked at that, as if he couldn't even imagine being far from his father for that long.   
"But why? Did something happen?" He asked.

Gil shrugged. Honestly, it wasn't even painful to talk about that anymore. That's just the way things were.

"He kicked me out at 13 for being an omega." He told Ben. "Said I wasn't his son anymore."

Ben looked like he was legit about to start crying.

"Gil, I'm so sorry! I'm so so so sorry! That's awful!"

Gil offered him a sad smile.   
"It's okay, Ben. Not your fault."

After a few seconds in a fairly uncomfortable silence, the King asked:  
"How did you live after th- actually, nevermind. It's none of my business and it's insensitive of me to ask."

Gil shook his head. There were few things he insisted on being a secret and that wasn't one of them.

"It's fine. I lived on the streets for some time and then I chose to be a pirate."   
  
"So you, Harry and Uma have been friends for many years, since before you presented, right?" Ben said, trying not to show too much of the obvious pity he was feeling.

"Sure, I guess, but... the ship wasn't Uma's at that time. It was Hook's." He answered. "Harry's father."

Now, that was where the talk started making Gil actually nervous. He couldn't let people from Auradon find out about what happened. What if they decided he was too wanton and disgusting to be amongst them?   
He may be exactly that, but he was already loving his new life and didn't want to lose that.

Thankfully, he didn't need to think about how to get out of this conversation since Ben quickly changed the subject:  
"Since you mentioned Harry, did he actually came to the school today? I haven't seen him yet..."

Relieved, Gil answered.   
"Yes. But don't know if he's still here."

At that they heard the faint sound of the school bell ringing again.   
"What class do you have now?" Ben asked, already getting up to go to class.

"History. You?" Gil said.  
"Math. I'll see if I meet Harry around." The king said. "Good luck with your class!"

Who would've known? Having a friend around is actually a good way to clear your head a little. Also, having an omega friend to talk to is such a nice feeling.   
Don't get Gil wrong, he loves Harry and Uma more than anything in this world, but it was refreshing to be friends with someone like him.

**HARRY**  
Math class.   
His next class is math class. Can this be even more boring?

And the worst thing was the Auradon kids who thought he was scum for being born on the Isle. Sure, many of them were welcoming or indifferent, two beta girls even flirted with him that first day, but the ones who looked at him and other VK's with absolute disgust managed to get under his skin.   
He wished he could press his hook against their privileged necks.

But he couldn't, so he just sat on his desk and doodled him doing exactly what he wanted to do, as he waited for class to start.

However, soon his day became a little less boring as he saw Ben entering the classroom. As soon as the omega noticed him, he beamed with a bright smile.

Well, fuck. That boy was something else and Harry was screwed.

"Harry! You're here!" Ben said, taking the seat next to him.

"Well, yer highness, your speech was pretty convincing."

"You know you don't need to call me that, right?"

"But it's so fun." Harry answered. "Isn't it, yer highness?"

"So..." Ben changed the subject. "What do you think of the school so far?"

"Do you want me to say the truth or what you want to hear?" Harry asked.

Ben sounded so earnest as he answered:  
"The truth, of course. Always."

_Such a goodie two-shoes..._ It was almost endearing.  
"It's boring as hell and these up-nosed princes suck." He said.

To his surprise, instead of being defensive of his people, Ben just laughed.  
"Well, I can't really blame you for thinking like that, can I?"

Harry thought that Ben would likely give him a lecture for his response, so he was delighted by the actual answer he got. Who would've known that even Golden Boy would agree with him?

"I know school is not fun, but this doesn't mean you'll quit, right?" Ben added a few seconds later, showing genuine worry at the possibility.

Harry gave him his best flirty smile as he answered:   
"It depends. Will I get to see you in class everyday?"

The omega looked taken back for a little while and Harry almost worried he had gone too far, before Ben managed to speak again.

"Of course." He said, blushing a little. "Maybe even after school, sometimes... you k-know, if you want to hang out..."

Still with that same smile on his face, he answered:  
"Then I'll be the most assiduous student in this whole school, yer highness."

**GIL**  
Thank God, he managed to scape Jay and Carlos for the rest of the day. It had been hard, but as the last bell rang, Gil collected his things and ran home without even waiting for Uma and Harry to come with him.

Now, Gil was sitting on his own bed, thinking and trying to sort out his thoughts and feelings. Evil, it had been just one day and he was already both emotionally and physically exhausted.

He had never been this infatuated with someone before, that's why he was acting like this. Sure, he had found many alphas attractive in his life, but truth be told, is hard to actually like an Alpha in a place where he knew he needed to be away from them, in fear that he'd be hurt.   
The only exceptions were Harry and Uma, but they took him in when he needed and took care of him, so they were family to him.

"Hey, man. Why the hell didn't you wait for us?" Gil startled as Uma walked in his bedroom, already complaining. Harry was right behind her, leaning on the door.

Speaking of the devil, right?  
"Sorry, I just really wanted to leave." He said and Uma just raised one perfectly done eyebrow at him. "Fine, I was running from someone."

At that her expression darkened and she looked ready to take her sword and stab it into someone's heart.

"What, why? Did someone hurt you? Did they try to touch you?" She asked. Her voice was calm, even though she looked ready to commit murder.

Gil found it extremely heart-warming when he was reminded how much his friends cared about him. He really, _really_ , didn't deserve them.

"No, no! I'm fine!" He clarified. "It was I'm-avoiding-you running, not I'm-scared running."

"Oh..." She seemed mostly confused, but Gil could see she was relieved as well. "Do you need any help with that someone you're avoiding?"

"No, it's fine." He insisted, the last thing he needed was to involve Uma in this mess too. "It's just, ah... a silly thing. Don't worry."

Uma nodded. She was just as protective as Harry, but she knew when to back off.

"Well, I'm off to try to get some homework done, then." She said. "Good luck with whoever you're avoiding."

She left after that and Harry took her place, closing the door behind him so she couldn't hear him when he said:

"Gil... you know she wouldn't be mad if you told her... "

Gil shook his head. This was definitely not worth the risk. If he could stop himself from disappointing his captain, he'd do everything in his power to do so.

"So..." Seeing Gil wasn't going to change his mind, Harry started another conversation. "Heard you had lunch with the king today, huh?"

Gil smiled at that. It was pretty good to make new friends.

"Did he say something 'bout me?" Harry asked.

Gil thought about it and quickly remembered Ben's question.

"Yeah, he asked if you were at school." He answered.

"Just this? Nothing else? You sure?" He asked again, seeming really invested in the conversation.

Gil frowned, trying to remember if there was something else he might be missing, but couldn't think of anything.

"Yeah, that's all he said."

Harry didn't seem all that pleased at the answer, and Gil couldn't quite figure out what was wrong...

_Wait a minute..._

"Wait!" He exclaimed. "Are you into King Ben?"

"No! Of course not!" Harry said, a little bit too quickly. "That would be crazy, right? He's Auradon's golden boy, so he'd never have a quick hook up with me. But I'm also not exactly the ideal boyfriend for royalty, so we wouldn't be that either, ya know."

Gil just stayed quiet absorbing the new information.   
"Ok, I'm not _into_ him, but I find him very _interesting._ There's something just bewitching about him." Harry confessed.

Gil wasn't sure what to say. Was Ben interested in Harry too? Or was he just being nice? It's difficult to know with him. Also, there was the whole 'Uma, Gil and Harry kidnapped him less than one year ago' issue, so...

Clearly Harry misunderstood his silence as something else, since he said:  
"Yeah, I know It's weird. Not like a broken pirate is exactly what royals are usually looking for, huh?"

"No, no, no, that's not it." Gil quickly answered.   
That was probably the best time to talk about something that had been bothering Gil for a while, but he didn't know how to bring it up.

"Then what is it? Did he say something about me? Is he seeing someone else?" The Alpha asked.

"I just... I don't... I think..." Gil took a deep breath trying to sort out his thoughts. He didn't want to hurt Harry with what he was about to say.   
"So... ok, remember when we took Ben to the ship?"

"The kidnapping fiasco? Of course I do."

He took another deep breath.   
"So, he was tied up and you were flirting, saying some stuff, using your hook... I know that's just how you are, you're always flirting, and that you'd _never_ hurt an omega like that, but... " He tried to explain. "If I w-was taken by an Alpha I didn't know and he was b-being like that... I'd be... I'd be..."

"You'd be scared." Harry said, sounding like the words caused him physical pain. "You think... Ben is _scared_ of me?"

The look of despair in Harry's eyes was exactly what Gil wanted to avoid. He really should have kept his stupid mouth shut.

"That's not... no, that wasn't what I wanted to say." He tried to explain himself, but failed to do so. "You know what? Forget this. Don't listen to me, I'm just all fucked up in the head 'cause of what happened. I bet a bunch of stuff Auradon's omegas think it's normal make me scared, I'm just weird like that."

"Gil..."

"No, really. Ben's a king, I bet he doesn't even know that things like that happen, never heard of them. I'm broken, so I don't see things the same way good omegas do." He said, trying to bury that conversation down. "I'm sorry for even bringing this up."

"No, Gil, you're right." Harry stated. "The way I acted... that could really have scared an omega. You know, I actually enjoy seeing my enemies afraid, but I'd _never_ do it like that, I'd never want an omega to fear me in that way."

Gil stayed quiet, still worried that he made his friend feel sad.

"I don't want to be like that, I don't want to be like _him._ " Harry said, with such a level of disgust in his voice that it was clear who he was talking about. "So, if I ever make you or any other omega uncomfortable again, please let me know, ok?"

"Ok, I can do that." He answered. "And about Ben... I don't really think he's scared, I'm just worried that maybe he is or was."

"So, it would probably be for the best if I don't go after him, right?"

"No, I think you should do it, if you want to. Just don't..."

"Come off too strong?" Harry guessed.

"Yeah, something like that." Gil confirmed. "You can still be you, like with your flirting and all, but just take it easy until you're sure about him."

Harry smiled, and ruffled his hair in response to that; they were really like brothers.  
"Thanks, buddy. That's actually pretty good advice." He said, already leaving the room. Then, he stopped in his tracks and not meeting his friend's eyes, he asked: "Have I ever made you feel like that?"

Gil didn't even have to think before shaking his head.  
"No, never. You and Uma are the only Alphas I know would never hurt me."

Harry smiled at that, not his usual smug smile, but a real, bright one.


	2. So there's no use crying about it

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jay has some thoughts, Mal likes to observe, Gil loves tourney and Ben has quite the realization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here am I again, hope you guys liked last chapter. Thank you for the comments, they absolutely inspire me to write♡  
> WARNINGS: Mentions of rape, self victim blaming, crying, fear of infidelity, low self-esteem.

**JAY**   
Jay was quietly thinking as he watched Carlos sleep pressed against his chest, both lying on their bed after sharing a moment of passion and lust.    
Technically, it was only Jay's bed since their room here in Auradon had two beds. But really, Carlos has never slept on the bed that's supposed to be his.    
A few weeks after they arrived in Auradon, Jay even told Ben that if they wanted to take the bed back or give it to someone else, it'd be fine since no one was using it anyway. Ben just blushed beet red and told him that it was better if things stayed that way, otherwise Fairy Godmother may have a heart attack.

People from Auradon could be so fucking weird sometimes...

Well, going back to Jay's thoughts while he's comfortably waiting for hisboyfriendto wake up... let's just say these thoughts wandered too far.

Jay had been thinking about Gil a lot these days. The boy was sweet and funny and such good company that it wouldn't be a problem, except that, even though Jay refused to admit it, he thinks about him far too much for it to be considered friendly.

But really, who could blame him? There was something about that omega that was drawing him in, bringing him closer without his approval. One moment he was doing homework, the other he was thinking about how adorable Gil's laugh was.

_ Jay knows how wrong these weird feelings are, since he is taken _ _. Carlos is not just his boyfriend, he is the love of his life._

And honestly the worst thing is that it wasn't one of these 'I don't love them anymore' situations. Because Jay loves Carlos de Vil _so fucking much_ it hurts him sometimes. He loves how smart Carlos is, loves his sense of humor, loves how Carlos is always there for him, loves every single one of his freckles and everything he is. "Love" was seen as a bad thing back on the Isle, something that just the weak ones felt, but even when he was still there hearing people say that, he knew he loved Carlos. And he knew that this love only made him stronger.

Just looking at his lover's beautiful asleep face overwhelms him with how much he loves that omega.

But, still...  
Even with all of this love he can't help but feel a sparkle of interest whenever Gil pass by. And he feels terribly guilty, but is not something he can help.

Of course, he would never do anything to hurt his and Carlos' relationship, he valued what they had too much for that. So there was only one thing left to do: lie to himself, saying that whatever he felt for Gil was just platonic and pursue him as a friend.

Deep down, Jay knew no one is interested like that in someone they want to be 'just friends' with, but what else could he do except deny, deny, deny?

He was distracted from his thoughts as Carlos slowly woke up and started to stir.   
"Hey, sleepy head." Jay said, gently running his fingers through his boyfriend's hair. "Did you sleep well?"

"Like a rock. You did tire me out, you know?" The omega answered, starting to sit up on the bed.

"Woah, where do you think you're going?" Jay asked, noticing his boyfriend was ready to get up.

Carlos rolled his eyes at him.   
"I have homework to do, babe." He said.

The Alpha pouted.  
"C'mon, just cuddle with me a little more. You can do your homework later, you're a genius anyway. " He insisted, wrapping his arms around the other boy and giving him small kisses all over his face. 

In moments like these, Jay could almost forget how guilty he felt...  
  


T h e N e x t D a y

**GIL**  
Well, it was _just_ his luck.  
Gil's first class was chemistry, and as soon as the teacher entered the class she decided who the pairs for the day's activities were going to be and guess what?

Exactly, Jay was his pair and Gil was doomed.

"So, I think we're supposed to mix these two?" Jay said, pointing to some weird liquids they were supposed to work with. "I'm not sure, I kinda suck at chemistry."

"Yeah, me two." He tried to give short answers.

"Well, let's hope it works out." The Alpha answered, starting to mix the chemicals. "By the way, why didn't I see you at lunch yesterday?"

"I... I had a thing to think about." He vaguely answered.

Jay just raised his eyebrows at that, but didn't comment.   
They kept working quietly, concentrating hard on the task at hand. Why is chemistry so hard?

Eventually they managed to do what the teacher had asked.

"That's an awesome result, children." She said, getting closer to their desk. "You should work together more often, look at that!"

She left to help some other students, who seemed about to blow up the whole classroom.   
Jay gave him a side smile and said:  
"So, I guess we make a pretty good pair, right?"

Well, Gil couldn't help but blush at that. This was definitely flirting, there is no way Jay isn't noticing what he is doing. Is there?   
No, no, Gil can't think like that.

He didn't answer Jay just smiled back at him.

They kept just looking at each other for a while, neither of them sure how much time, standing there in a comfortable silence. Like they didn't even need words.

Jay decided to break the moment after a while.  
"So... did you decide if you're going to play some school sport this year?" He asked.

"I want to." Gil answered, giving up on trying to avoid conversations with him. "But I don't wanna do sparring, 'cause I already know that. And I really, really don't wanna be a cheerleader."

"Why don't you try tourney?" Jay said, seeming excited by the idea. "I can ask coach to let you apply for the team at practice today."

Gil made a face, confused.  
"Would they even let me play? I'm an omega..."

"What about it?" Jay asked.

"Well, aren't all the players Alphas?"

"No, I mean, most of them are. But it's not a rule or anything. There are two players who are betas." Jay said. "Ben also used to play, and he's an omega. Carlos tried out once too."

Gil bit his lip. Tourney really sounded like fun, he thinks he would love to play on the team, but would there really be no problem? Sure, Ben might have played, but he's _the king_ , after all.   
He was so used to being treated like trash for being omega he wasn't even sure what to expect anymore.

Also, let's not forget that 'avoiding' Jay would be a lot harder if they trained together almost everyday after class...

Gil spent so much time thinking that Jay added:  
"Look, man, you don't need to do anything you don't want to. If not having other omegas on the team freaks you out, that's fine. I won't pressure you." He smiled. "But if you decide to give it a try, I know you're going to be a great addition to the team."

Well... being here in Auradon is supposed to be all about experiencing new things and leaving things that used to hold him back behind, right?

"Ok, I'll try it." He decided.

Jay seemed genuinely happy at that, and Gil felt like he could melt inside out just from that.

"Awesome!" He said. "I'll talk to coach, then."

After that, it didn't take long for the bell to ring and for them to part their ways.

Whenever Gil was with Jay it was like there was a fog clouding his mind, it was a pleasant feeling but as soon as the fog cleared out, he was left with nothing but the knowledge that he had failed again.   
Agreeing to play tourney was exactly the kind of thing that made his mission guaranteed to fail. Yet, Gil did it.

But it's fine. He doesn't need to freak out about this right now, right? There is still the possibility that the coach won't even let him in the team, won't even give him the chance to try... even though it seems to be _so fun_ to play.   
  


**MAL**   
She had been waiting all day to talk to Jay alone and the opportunity finally presented itself at lunch, when Evie told Carlos she had made a new jacket for him and they went to her locker to get it.

"So..." She started. "What is it with you and Gaston's son?"

Jay clearly became nervous when he heard the question, but tried to hide it.   
"Why? I don't know what you're talking about..." He answered.

Mal rolled her eyes at him. Really? She was almost offended he thought she didn't knew him well enough to know he was lying through his teeth.

"Cut the crap, Jay." She said. "I saw you making heart eyes at him in chemistry today. And that's not the first time either."

Jay didn't respond to that. What was he going to say, after all? She knew, deep down, he knew he couldn't lie to her.

"Look, man. You know you're like a brother to me." She said. "But so is Carlos. All I need is that you promise me that you're not doing anything that could hurt him."

"I'm not cheating on Carlos, Mal." He said, seeming offended at her implication.

"But are you planing to?" She insisted.

"No!" Jay practically shouted. "C'mon, you know I love him more than anything. I wouldn't hurt him."

She had no doubt that Jay loved his boyfriend, but she knew love wasn't always enough in a relationship.   
She loved Ben, after all, but she realized that most of it was friendly and that she couldn't handle being queen.

"Then, why are you flirting with another omega?" She asked.

"I'm not!" He said. "Well, I'm not trying to. It's like all our interactions end up getting flirty."

"Are you interested in him?"

He sighed, which was already an answer to her, but he added anyway:  
"I do think about him some ways I shouldn't sometimes... b-but mostly I just wanna be his friend."

She didn't seem convinced so he continued:  
"He's pretty and his smell is awesome, but I won't try anything with him. He just seems like a cool guy and I wanna be his friend. That's it."

She was about to protest again just as Evie and Carlos came back for the table, excitedly showing off the new piece of clothing that the beta had made and, even though unknowingly, shutting down that conversation for good.

Mal had a bad feeling about all of this, but if Jay insists 'it's not like that', then what could she do?  
  


** GIL **   
Last class' bell had just soared, and Gil was going to the tourney field, hoping Jay was already there.

Today had been a really good day, his first class was chemistry with Jay, he had two classes with both Uma and Harry and Goodness 101 was actually fun.   
Also, he had lunch on the same spot with King Ben and is sure they are on their way to become great friends.

As he approached the field, he could see Jay with Carlos by his side, and also a couple more dudes waiting there.

"Hey, Gil!" Jay said, as soon as Gil entered the place. "Coach, this is the guy I was talking about."

The coach smiled at him and then immediately started explaining the game and what he was supposed to do.   
"So, I guess one of the guys can lend you the safety equipment and you can play in these clothes just fine." He said. "But if you do make it to the team, you'll have to get the uniform, ok?"

Gil nodded, everything seemed pretty reasonable to him.  
"Great, we'll wait five more minutes, then we begin training." The coach said, then turned away to talk to some other boys.

"Hey, Gil!" Carlos said, approaching him. "I think it's so cool you'll be on the team. I tried to apply once, but tourney really isn't my thing."

Sometimes Gil forgot just how nice and a good friend Carlos was and his stomach always turned as he was reminded. Reminded what he was doing to such a good person.

"Hm, thanks." He said. "But I don't know if I will really be on the team."

Carlos smiled at him, all cute and friendly.  
"Don't think like that, I'm sure you'll be great." Carlos answered.

Soon the game was starting and _God_ , when was the last time Gil felt free like this? Probably, never.   
It was so much fun, and it was so much easier than any class that Gil couldn't stop smiling most of the time.

Jay was the captain, and a pretty good one. He didn't make it easier for Gil, which he appreciated, and seemed to be having fun as well.   
The other guys are also good, but Jay is definitely a natural at this and, honestly, Gil starts thinking he might be one as well.

Most of the players seemed not to care about his presence at all, but there is one or two dirty looks shooted at him. Well, that's fine, he can deal with that.

Much too soon, the coach whistled and practice was over.   
Gil was sweating in places he didn't even know could sweat, but it was _so_ worth it.

"What's your name again, son?" Coach asked him.

"It's Gil, sir. " He said, and just to be sure, he quickly added: "Thank you for letting me try."

"Look, I still have two other boys to see tomorrow and only one place left, but unless a professional tourney player starts studying in Auradon today, consider yourself part of the team!" The man said.

"I knew you were going to kill it, dude!" Gil turned around and was faced with a very smiley and very _shirtless_ Jay. Oh damn...

"Thanks, tourney is so cool!" He answered excitedly, even though he could feel his mouth getting dry from the sight.

"Gil that was amazing!" Carlos said, running towards them. "It's so good to see an omega kicking these Alpha's asses!"

He blushed, not really used to all this praise. All he did today was have fun, he wasn't all that impressive, was he?  
"Thanks, guys..." He blushed as he said.

"So we're accepting omegas on the team again? I thought we had learned not to do that after your boyfriend's epic fail, Jay." A boy Gil had never even seen in the school approached them, full of himself.

"First of all, we never stopped accepting them. There were just none interested in tourney." Jay said, turning his body towards the guy. "Second of all, fuck off, Liam!"

The boy just threw his hands up, as if he didn't mean any harm by it, but they all knew the truth.   
He was one of the guys Gil noticed weren't being exactly welcoming.

"Don't mind him, Gil. He's kinda of a bully, but he's harmless." Carlos advised.   
"It's fine. We lived on the isle, how bad can this boy be?" He answered, really not worried about that.  
He knew what being a bad situation really meant, and it wasn't a rich kid joking about him.

"Okay, then. We're all hitting the showers, you're coming?" Jay said.

And that's where Gil draws the line...

Being naked in a place full of Alphas? Who are also naked? All pumped up and full of hormones? That's _asking for_ something bad to happen and Gil was not actually this stupid.

"Nah, it's fine. I don't have extra clothes, I'll shower in the ship." He answered, trying to keep his cool. "Thanks, guys. See ya!"

And he ran off. Kind of like a fool, like someone who did not keep their cool at all.

He was just so nervous. The thought of being in a situation like that was terrifying.  
Why did Jay even ask him that? Did he think that Gil is such a bad omega that no Alpha from Auradon would show interest in him?   
Yeah, that's probably it. It hurt him to think about it, but Jay must have heard some rumors about him back on the island.

After all, the pirates who survived Uma and Harry's attack spread the word about it around the Isle. About how Ursula's daughter was this power-hungry and ruthless girl, using her lackeys to murder the crew and take over the ship.   
How Hook's son was crazy and killed his own family for jealousy of an omega that wasn't even his.   
How Gaston's kid was the dumb slut that started it all; spreading his legs for everyone in the crew and more, then making Alphas fight to death to protect the honor he didn't even had.

Gil could say, for sure, that the first two were just rumours. But he wasn't really sure about the third one. Uma told him once not to mind these things, that he obviously didn't want it, so it wasn't his fault.

But still, when he thinks about it, he felt as if all he did was drag his friends into an unnecessary fight. 

⚓

After being caught by Harry, Gil spent a whole week hidden in Uma's house, while she and Harry prepared for a battle to take over the ship.   
Ursula didn't really mind, as long as her daughter was alive and able to work for her twice a week, she didn't care what else she did.

"Listen, guys, we'll attack at three a.m. All of them will be sleeping, so we'll caught them off-guard." Uma explained. Gil is not sure how, but she managed to get several other kids their age to help on the ambush. "They may be stronger but we are faster and more prepared. The goal today is not to kill aimlessly, but to take over the ship. We don't want to shed more blood than necessary."

Everyone listened attentively, wanting to win this fight. It was the biggest operation most of them had ever participated, so they wanted to be good.

"Alright, everyone get your weapons and meet us there on time." She said, finally.

While people were discussing who would get which weapon, Gil sat quietly with his own thoughts.   
Was it even worth it? To start a war over him? He was the one who was dumb enough to think that, as an omega, he would be safe living in a ship full of creepy, older Alphas. Was he really that innocent, after all?

Maybe there were some part of him, deep down, that wanted what happened or at least deserved it.

"Hey, which sword are you going to use?" Harry asked him.   
  
"I'm... I'm allowed to go with you guys?" He asked, confused. They already saw how weak he can be.

"Of course. We all know you're a good fighter." Harry said."Besides, this is personal for you."

"I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess. I should have solved this on my own." Gil apologized.

This week was hell for him. All he did was watch as Uma and Harry planned this whole thing and blame himself for how much trouble he was causing.   
Not only his friends, but all these other people Uma contacted were having to fight a battle that was his.   
Sure, most of them were only doing this because they wanted to take over the ship and become pirates, but it was still Gil who started it all.

"You didn't drag us into anything. My father did."Harry said, his eyes dark with rage. Everyone knew not to mess with him when he was like that.

So Gil went with the others and prepared himself to fight. It was the least he could do after starting the war himself.   
⚓

Just thinking about that day hurts, so Gil forces himself to think about another thing or else he would start crying.

He was so deep in his own thoughts, he barely registered the walk back to the ship until he was there, being greeted by an exasperated Uma.

"For Evil, Gil! Where have you been? One day you run away from school, the other you arrive two hours late?" She said. "Is there something happening that I should know about?"

"I'm sorry, Uma. It won't happen again."He said, embarrassed to be failing his captain.

She sighed at his response.   
"You don't need to be sorry. I'm not trying to control you or something, if you don't want to tell me where you're going, then don't." She said. "Just warn me you won't be coming home with us, so we know you're okay."

"Yeah, I know this isn't like the Isle but bad things can still happen." Harry said.

"Ok, I'm sorry anyway, but I do want to say where I was." He said. "I think I'm on the tourney team now."

Uma blinked for a few seconds, shocked by the revelation. But then she opened the brightest smile.   
"Really? That's so cool, Gil! I bet you kicked some ass in that field, huh?" She said.

He eyed Harry to try to grasp his reaction, but there really wasn't one. He had been kinda afraid that Harry would be disappointed in him for not staying away from Jay.

"Hm, thanks. Coach will say tomorrow if I made it or not." Gil said.

"I'm sure you did. Just don't forget to let us know when your first game is." She said, and then went to her room, already pleased to see Gil was alive and well.  
"And also go take a shower, you stink!" She yelled from there.

"So..." He started. "Aren't you mad at me?"   
"Why would I be?" Harry turned the question around.

"You know Jay is the tourney captain, right?" Gil said. "I know you told me to stay away from him and I really should have listened to you, but tourney just seemed so cool and I-"  
"Gil, calm down." He didn't let the omega finish the sentence."I don't like Jay, ok? At all. I think he's a player, who's trying to mess with your head. But I trust your judgement."

'You shouldn't' was what came to Gil's mind at the moment, but he decided against saying it.

"Besides, I know that if he tries anything you don't want, you'll tell me and Uma, right?" He asked.

Gil nodded, still not entirely sure why Harry wasn't yelling at him or something.

"So... you're really not mad? Not even a little bit?" Gil insisted.

"Of course! I'm not happy you're growing closer to that guy, but I don't have any right to be mad at you." The Alpha said. "Gil, I'm your friend, not your fucking owner. I don't get to dictate who you're allowed to see."

Gil still felt this overwhelming feeling, as if he had done something terribly wrong, but no one had caught him yet.   
Both Harry and Uma said that he had the tendency to keep blaming himself for things that aren't his fault.  
 _Oh, well..._

T h e n e x t d a y

**BEN**  
Ben knew he would be lying if he said his smile didn't grow three times bigger when he saw Harry walk through the door, even though the boy was late.   
Harry sat right by his side and they kept exchanging glances like two lovesick twelve year-olds during the whole lesson.

As soon as the bell rang, Ben was walking over to Hook's seat.   
"Good to see you kept you're promise not to leave school." He said.

And there goes Harry with his charming smile.   
"All because of you, yer highness."

Right then, something changed on Harry's face, as if he just remembered something unpleasant.

"Are you okay, Harry? Did something happen?" He asked, worried.

"Nah, I just..."He seemed slightly apprehensive, which is highly unusual of him. "Can I ask you something?"

Ben just nodded, getting even more worried each second. It seemed like ages before Harry actually spoke up again:

"Have you ever been scared of me? Like, really scared?"  
There was such pain in his eyes, and the question was so different from anything Ben could have expected, that he was caught out off guard.

 _"What?"_   
"Have you ever been-"   
"No, no, I heard you. I was just... surprised." He said. "Where did this come from?"

Harry sighed.    
"I was talking to... hm, an omega friend and he said that he'd probably be scared, y'know,  _as an omega_ , if he were in your situation when you got kidnapped and I was being all threaty and flirty at the same time." He explained.

"Again, what? What do you mean scared as an ome- oh... _oh..._ "Ben said, finally catching up to the thought.

He was horrifield. He would never think something so vile of someone he had just met!

"Harry, I was never scared that you'd do _that_ to me. Sure, I was worried that you'd throw me in the sea, use your hook on my skin or..."Ben hesited slightly."Well, I admit the thought of you getting a bit handsy did cross my mind, but I was never afraid that you'd actually do _that._ "

Ben was getting really exasperated.  
"And, frankly, even those worries were temporary. All it took was a few minutes in that ship to know that you, Uma and Gil are not bad guys. I knew you wouldn't want to hurt an innocent, because I knew you were just misunderstood, not evil."

Harry looked immensely relieved by the revelation. He seemed to be even breathing easier.

"I'm glad to hear that." He said, now smiling again. "But I'm sorry, anyway, about that day."

It was Ben's turn to smile. The Alpha didn't seem the type to recognize he was wrong very often.

"You were already forgiven, but I appreciate the sentiment." He answered. "Now, how about you take me to my next class?"

"Of course, yer highness."

And, just like that, they fell back into their light flirting again.  
But still, their previous conversation  
wouldn't leave Ben's mind. How could someone immediate thoughts about a clearly political kidnapping be about the possibility of _rape?_

Even thinking about the word sent chills through Ben's spine. It was such a hideous thing no one even mentioned it in Auradon.

That is not to say that such a thing never happened in the kingdom. Contrary to popular belief, Auradon wasn't perfect, bad things still happen.   
But Ben is pretty sure that the last case of this type of crime that was reported there happened before he was even born. And the perpetrator was immediately sent away...

_straight to the Isle of the lost._

Ben suddenly felt sick, like he might throw up at any minute. The people who were sent to the Isle weren't just crazy ladies obsessed with dog's fur or guys who were just a little too power-hungry. There were also much more dangerous people there, that's exactly why the first thing he did was to create a prision system, for the love of Goodness!

_God_ , exactly how many rapists, abusers and cold-blooded murderers did Auradon sent to Isle? Just how many monsters did they sent to share a living space with people who had just committed a mistake, and worse, with people who were just innocents paying for their parent's sins?

Life wasn't perfect for omegas in Auradon. They were the main victims of ridiculous stereotypes or unfunny jokes, it's not that uncommon for them to hear lewd comments, especially from young Alphas and Ben himself still faced discrimination for being the first single omega to reign. But after this realization, exactly  _how much worse_ was life for omegas from the Isle?

Not that this type of thing couldn't happen to betas or even Alphas, but omegas were the main targets and Ben knew it. So how vulnerable and exposed to danger were those omegas, living in a place were ethics were either non-existent or frowned upon and Alphas were free to do whatever they wanted without the fear of facing consequences?

As the thought wouldn't stop bugging him, he decided to talk to Gil about it, since the two had started having lunch together at their spot everyday.

"So, coach just told me that I did it! I really am in the tourney team!" Gil announced, excited.

"That's great, Gil! Congratulations!" He said."I'm sure you'll have lots of fun."

Deciding that it was now or never, Ben chose to bring it up:  
"Hey, can I ask you something serious?"

Gil looked alarmed, but nodded anyway.   
"How was life for omegas on the Isle?" Ben finally asked.

The boy froze midway through chewing. He just sat there, not saying anything and taking really deep breaths. 

"Gil, are you okay? I'm sorry, dude, you're just making me really worried right now."

"Yeah, y-yeah. I'm fine, I'm just... " He took another deep breath. "It was not good, Ben."

That was it for him. Ben just started crying right there, feeling like the biggest failure in the world.   
Gil was the one who experienced it, Ben doesn't get to be the one crying about it.

"I'm sorry, Ben. Please, don't cry! I don't know what you heard about me, but if it makes you feel bad to see me, I c-can go back to the Isle and-" Gil started, already tearing up himself.

"No, God, please no. That's not w-what I want at all. "He said, trying to dry his own tears. "It just... hit me t-today that if someone... abused a person, they'd be sent to the I-Isle. And there was no one, no royalty or g-guards to protect you guys from p-people like that."

"Oh. Oh... It's okay, Ben. The Isle is not your fault, we talked about that." Gil said, trying to make his friend feel better.

"Maybe not my fault as a person, but this it's on Auradon. It's on every single one of us. It's on my parents and everyone I love." Ben said. "God, I'm so sorry."

"I told you it's okay. I got... I got touched, I got hurt for being an omega, but Uma and Harry helped me and now I'm fine." Gil insisted.

"I really hope you know you didn't deserve to go through that. You didn't even deserve to be on the Isle at all." Ben said, but he could see in Gil's eyes he didn't believe that. "For Goodness, I'm sorry for ugly crying like that."

He got a little laugh at that.   
"No, it's all good. It's... nice to know you care so much about us."

As Ben mind slowly cleared up, he decided it was important to tell Gil something:  
"I think you should talk to a counselor or a therapist about it, Gil. This isn't... this isn't a normal everyday thing, this is bad. You might need help to fully recover."

"What are those?" Gil wrinkled his nose in confusion at the terms.

"They're people you can talk to about things that trouble you and they tell you what to do and help you feel better." He tried his best to explain. "Some mean people say they're for the crazy, but don't listen to them. I did a few sessions to cope with the stress of coronation and all."

Ben starts to feel like maybe he should also come back for a few more sessions, considering all the overwhelming guilt he is experiencing right now and that he doubts will go away on its own.

"Nah... I don't need anyone to tell me my head is broken. I know that." Gil said, looking sad.

Ben felt the need to correct that somehow, but he didn't know what to say and didn't want pressure his friend and scare him away.   
At the end, the bell rang and took the choice away from him. 

**GIL**  
He was still shocked from his and Ben's weird conversation at lunch. Gil thinks he can imagine how Uma and Harry must feel when Gil blames himself for something _they_ don't consider his fault, since he gets anguished every time Ben starts blaming himself for things that happened on the Isle.

But still, it's reassuring to know that his new friend, who is also the king of the place he is currently living in, cares so much about Isle kids' well-being. It makes him feel safe.

Even though all of this took much of his attention, by the time the last class is over, he is already excited for his first tourney practice as a oficial member of the team.

He changes his clothes in the main hall bathroom, in one of the stalls, to avoid entering the actual players' lockeroom.

As he approached the field, he saw that Jay, Carlos and two other players were already there.  
Weird, that was the first time he saw Jay that day, when usually he sees him all the time, even when he is avoiding that.

As soon as the Alpha saw him, he came running in his direction. Well, Gil couldn't help but smile at that.

"Gil! Carlos and I talked and I think now I get why you ran off yesterday." He said, looking worried. "I'm sorry if you were uncomfortable that I suggested for you to use the lockeroom with everyone else. If you want, you can go first and I'll be outside not letting anyone else get in, until you're done."

He blushed hard at that. He had made such a big deal out of nothing! Maybe Jay didn't even heard the rumours about him, after all.

Anyway, it felt great to know that Jay would do something like that for him, if he asked.   
"Thanks, Jay. It's nice of you, but I'm cool with showering once I get home."

"You're sure?" He asked and Gil nodded. "Okay, then. Oh, by the way, congratulations on making it to the team. I knew you'd get it!"

In a few minutes practice started and it was even more fun than the day before. Now, Gil knew he was definitely part of the team, he was one of them. It was freeing to know you were good enough to make it, especially when you spent most of your life feeling like you're not good, you're not worth it.

Of course, there are still one or two cold stares, especially from that bully from the day before. Leo? No, Liam. But, just like Carlos said, he was harmless.   
Gil didn't know if the hostility was just because of his status as an omega or also because he was yet another Isle kid joining the team. Either way, he wouldn't let it ruin his day.

"Alright, boys, alright. That's it for today. You did good. " Coach said. "Don't forget that a few weeks from now we have a game. It's just a friendly game, not part of the championship or anything. But still, we should be prepared."

"Is the new guy even allowed to participate with such a short notice?" And there goes Liam again.

"I don't know if you've ever read the regulations, but there's nothing there stating new players can't participate." Jay, always the knight in a shinning armor, said.

Focus, Gil. He's got a boyfriend, who's also your friend.

"Jay is right. Gil is a good one and I don't see any reason for him not to play." Coach said.

And with that, practice was over. Gil was completely exhausted, but in a good way. It made him feel alive, somehow.

"Hey, how do you feel being an official member of the tourney team now?" Jay asked him.

"Good. It was even more fun than last time and I can't wait for the real game." Gil answered, while he gathered his things to leave.

"I bet you're going to rock that game, Gil. You're really something else in the field." Jay said, and there was something on his voice, maybe on his face too that almost looked like infatuation.

Fuck, Gil really needs to take these crazy ideas out of his head if he really wants to play tourney. He can't think like that, because Jay _can't_ be interested in him. He already has a boyfriend, who was right there, by the way.

"Yeah, you killed it again today. Now no one can accuse you of beginner's luck." Carlos, the _actual_ boyfriend piped in.

"Thanks, guys. I'm really happy to be on the team." He answered.

As he made his way towards home, he couldn't help but think about the way Jay had spoken to him, all soft and proud and almost adoring.

He knew it was all in his head, he was probably driving himself crazy with his own wanton ways, but still he couldn't get that dreamy look out of his face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and kudos are appreciated♡


	3. Would it really kill you if we kissed?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uma is sick of Harry being a dumbass, Harry stops being a dumbass and Gil has some regrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kudos and the comment. Reviews are always appreciated.  
> WARNINGS: the slightest mention of rape, fear of infidelity (but it doesn't actually happen)

T h r e e w e e k s l a t e r

**JAY**  
Jay was screwed. He was so fucking screwed. Each day, each class, each practice he became closer and closer to Gil.   
It was like every new thing he discovered about the boy just made it harder to resist him. The harder he tried to keep distance, the less he actually managed to do it.

He felt like the worst boyfriend in history. Carlos is the smartest person he knows, and Jay was _so_ afraid he would notice what is happening.   
Technically, he's not doing something bad, but he's thinking it and that's enough for the guilt to eat him inside out.

Tomorrow the tourney team has a game, so today they don't have practice, so that all players can rest and be at peak condition the next day. Which means, Jay has a whole day to get himself together before the game.

Mal, for sure, has noticed what is happening. He knows she didn't buy a word of what he said to her, insisting he wasn't interested in Gil.   
Evie probably already knows too, since she and Mal seem to have this almost telepathic connection.

"So, I was thinking..." Carlos said, as they walked together to school.

That's it. That must be it. Carlos noticed the way he looks at Gil and now thinks he's cheating, and he's not, ok? He is  _not_ cheating, but that doesn't excuse the fact that he keeps acting like-

"Jane keeps saying that I should try out for the cheerleaders. And I may be considering it?" Carlos continued."I mean, it's a kind of dance, isn't it? It can't be that bad. Besides, they practice at the same time as tourney, so you won't have to wait up on me or anything. What do you think?"

Oh. That's fine, that's cool, Jay can deal with that. No need for spiraling like a crazy man.

Cons: Carlos wouldn't be watching him play anymore. He loved when he scored and heard Carlos rooting for him, even if it was just during practice.   
Pros: Many guys from the team dated cheerleaders and they all claimed that knowing they had their 'own personal cheerleader' actually made they play even better. Also Carlos in cheerleader clothes.

"If you want it, you should do it, babe. At least give it a try." He answered. "Besides, I'm sure you'd look amazing in that uniform."

Carlos laughed and rolled his eyes at that.   
"You know I wouldn't be using a skirt, right?" His boyfriend asked.

"Yeah, just really, really tight pants, right?" Jay said, wiggling his eyebrows at Carlos, which made them both giggle.

"That's settled, then. I'll wait for this game to pass, then I'll tell Jane I want to try out." Carlos said, giving his boyfriend a quick peck on the lips.

Funny how Jay can actually have such a good time with his boyfriend when he is not spiralling like the guilty idiot that he is.

**UMA**  
"So, exactly how serious are things between you and the King?" She asked Harry, as they walked up to their first class.

Harry had never told her about Ben, but she could see he wasn't surprised to hear her bringing it up. He knew she didn't need any words to get what was happening with him. They had always been like that.

"Not much. We've been flirting for weeks, but I haven't made a move yet." He answered.

"And for what reason? You seem really interested and that boy is a snack." She insisted.

"He's kinda of a prude, Uma. I'll scare him off if I tell him I wanna hook up with him."

Uma had to roll her eyes at that. Really? That was his excuse?

"Then don't. Just ask him on a date, Auradon style." She advised. "That's not frowned upon anymore."

Harry laughed at that, as if the idea was too ridiculous for him to even consider.

"I'm not suited up for royalty, Uma. Hell, I don't even know if I'm suited for being in a relationship at all." He said. "I'm a pirate, not a prince. Everyone in Auradon would lose their shit if Ben dated someone like me."

"Aren't you a dramatic little shit, Harry?" She said, already losing her patience. "It's a date. Not a marriage proposal."

Oh my God, Uma wasn't in a relationship, wasn't interested in anyone and honestly didn't want to be in relationship at the moment. Why does she seem to know so much more about this than the guy who was clearly already head over the heels for someone?

"Yeah, but I don't wanna lead him on." He said, and it sounded like an excuse. Because it was.

She squinted at him, knowing there was something else he wasn't telling her.

"Besides..." He tried again. "I'm not good for him."

There was it. That little spark of self-loathing that everyone from the Isle was almost already born with.

There were something about that place that made you hate yourself, or hate everyone else. Most of the time it was both options.

"He's the purest person I've ever met. It's almost overwhelming. I'm a bad guy, Uma, I can't be with someone like that." He explained. "For fuck's sake, I even kidnapped him!"

"Well, that was under my orders." She said. "Besides, I'm almost sure his parents have a pretty similar story, huh?"

Harry just rolled his eyes, which made her do it right back at him. Honestly, sometimes her boys were a real nightmare to deal with.

"He's a big boy, Harry. He doesn't need you to protect him from yourself." She said. "Fine, if you don't want to call it a date, don't. But I really think you should ask him out someday. You two fit together."

Harry didn't seem to think so, but Uma thought they might be exactly what each other need. Yin and Yang or something like that, you know?

"Fine, fine. I might do that." He accepted. "But if he refuses I'll throw it in your face until the day I die."

"He won't and you know it." She said and his side smile just proved her right.

"Well, you got me." He said, and just like every minor disagreement they had, they ended up laughing it off.

Soon, the teacher arrived in the classroom and the lesson started.   
Uma actually liked most of her classes, she just wouldn't admit it to just anyone, but learning new things wasn't as boring as everyone seemed to think.   
She just disliked english, because she didn't know how to express really well on those stupid essays and that frustrated her. But at anything else? She was starting to get the hang of it.

So she didn't feel compelled to pay attention to that math class and just let her thoughts go back to the previous conversation.   
Harry didn't put it into these exact words, but she knew what he meant: he thought he didn't deserve Ben. At least, not like that.

Sometimes, Uma felt bad for how much easier she had when compared to her friends. I mean, no one had it _easy_ on the Isle, but her life could have been a lot worse.

As an Alpha, she didn't have to deal with the crap she knew Gil went through. She didn't have to fight to keep her own body to herself, like he did. And she was never worried about getting kicked out of her house because of her status. Being an Alpha on the Isle meant you had the power to take whatever you wanted, while being an omega meant you could be taken regardless of what you wanted.  
And yeah, Ursula wasn't exactly warm and fuzzy, never hugged Uma and sang her to sleep like mothers seemed to do here in Auradon, but she wasn't a monster like Harry's father. Uma might have been yelled at if she made too much noise, but her mother had never hurt her. Never hit her, like she knew Hook had done countless times.

So, yeah, maybe she felt a little bit responsible for making sure her boys were okay. They just got it so bad and Uma might not say it, but she loves them very much and she just want them to be happy.   
They deserve it after everything that damn Isle made all of them go through.

And Harry would make her work so much easier if he just stopped sabotaging himself...

**BEN**  
Another day, another opportunity to flirt with Harry Hook.  
Honestly, Ben had no idea what he was doing with his life anymore. The two had been flirting for weeks and it had leaded them absolutely nowhere.

He wished he was brave enough to be the one to make the first move. Ask him on a date, kiss him, say he might be falling for him... literally anything to finally get out of this grey area.   
But he wasn't brave enough.

So, he had to wait for the Alpha to do it. He was paired up with Harry for this chemistry class, flirting to the point of almost messing up with the experiment, when it finally _finally_ happened.

"I'd literally die of boredom if we didn't share this class, yer highness." He said. "You make the whole school experience much spicier."

Ben couldn't help but blush, but he was confident enough to answer:  
"I'm glad I am what makes this whole experience tasteful for you."

Harry got really quiet after that and Ben immediately got worried.   
God, that hadn't been too bold, right? Or maybe it was? Did he cross a line he wasn't aware of?

Thankfully, before he could have a heart attack, the pirate spoke up:  
"We should hang out today." He said. "I mean, there are tons of places in Auradon that I haven't met yet. You could show me around."

Thank Goodness. Ben really didn't know how much more dancing around each other he could take.  
Ben opened a big smile for him and answered:  
"Sure, I'd love to. Maybe I can show you some cool things around the castle?"

"Like a true royal, huh? I like the idea, yer highness." He said.

Honestly, Ben felt so much lighter now they had finally taken that step.   
He knew he needed to calm down, in Auradon sometimes things happened just so fast, how many couples he met that kissed once and then immediately got married? Too many.   
But he knew things weren't like that on the Isle. He got told that most people didn't even date there, just had... affairs.   
So he needed to get it together because he couldn't let himself turn into a clingy omega cliché. This was just one date, maybe they'd do it again, maybe not. Either way, he needed to be chill about it.

By lunch time, Ben decided it would be good to talk to Gil about it; both as a fellow omega friend and as someone who knew Harry better than he did. Maybe he could get tips or something.

So, as soon as he arrived at their spot, he said:  
"I've got something to tell you."

Gil frowned at that.   
"Is it something bad?"

"No, not at all. I just..." Ben blushed at little, he wasn't used to talk about that at all. Mal was his only real girlfriend and that relationship had a very peculiar start, right?  
I mean, there was also Audrey, who used to be some kind betrothed to him, when they were younger. But that fell apart once he presented, since both of them were omegas.Ben actually got happy they weren't suppose to marry anymore, since he never felt that way about her at all.  
So really, that wasn't even a relationship, all they did was go to some play dates. Never even kissed.

"Harry asked me out on a date." He finally said.

Gil grinned at him, seeming genuinely happy. But then again Gil really was an over all genuine person.

"That's great, Ben! I knew he would, sooner or later." Gil said.

"Isn't it weird for you? You know, now that we're close friends, but then you also live with him?" Ben asked, just to be sure. He didn't want to make his friend uncomfortable.

"Not really, it's like you're dating my brother or something like that." Gil answered. "A few weeks ago I didn't know if this was a good idea, but now I know it is."

"What changed?"

"Well... now I know you better. You seem to really like Harry. And he seems to like you too." Gil answered.

"I'm trying not to expect much. I mean, it's fine if he just wants to have some fun, you know?" He says, trying not to sound too worried.

The truth is, yes, he'd be disappointed if Harry wanted to give him a kiss just to see what it felt like and then never talked about it again. But it was still better than getting nothing at all, right?

"So... when is it?" Gil, asked.

"Today, actually." Ben told him. "He's coming to the castle, I thought it would be nice to show him around."

The other boy gave him a smirk.   
"Didn't know you had it in you." He said. "But I approve! You two should have all fun you want."

Just then Ben realized what it might have sounded like.  
"No! I'm not... I'm not taking him home. I mean, not for that! We won't even get to my quarters, oh god." He said, exasperated.

Surprisingly, Gil was the one who blushed harder at this interaction.   
"I'm sorry. It was rude to think that of you." Gil said. "It's just that, back on the Island, that's what most 'dates' were."

"Do you think Harry is expecting us to..." Because that was a line he definitely wasn't ready to cross.

Virginity was still a taboo in Auradon, especially regarding omegas and even more especially in traditional families like his. He was raised knowing that the right thing to do was to save himself for the day of his mating ceremony, his marriage to his mate.   
Even though it might sound silly it was a tradition that became important to him, through the years. He learned to like the idea of there only being one person in the world who knew his body like that, he had grown fond of the thought he had something special to give his future husband or wife.

It wasn't just about tradition or following rules anymore. It was something he actually wanted to do.

Well, if Harry expected to get sex out of this, then they were going to have a problem.

"No! Not at all." Gil says. "He knows you would not like that. He took weeks to ask you on a date, so I think he is taking it slow with you."

"He doesn't usually spend all that time flirting?" Ben asked, curious.

"Yeah, but... not with the same person all the time. If he wants someone, he tells them right away." Gil explains.

Ben could feel himself get a little smug. Well, it seemed like he might be special, after all?

Again, it was important not to let his hopes get too high. This would only mess things up.

**HARRY**  
He, Uma and Gil were getting ready to leave school, a few minutes after the end of the last class of the day.   
Honestly, Harry couldn't wait to get out of there.

"So... I heard you have a date with Ben today." Gil said, looking like an excited puppy.

"He does? I'm glad you're finally listening to my advice. Actually, that was quicker than I expected." Uma said, just as excited.

"It's not a date, ok?" Harry was quick to explain. "We're just hanging out."

"But Ben told me it's a date..." Gil looked almost confused as he talked. 

"Well, you can't leave the poor boy hanging, right?" It was Uma's turn to insist. "If he says it's a date, then it's a date."

Harry couldn't help but roll his eyes at his friends. They're the worst...

"Don't ya have anything better to do, huh?" He asked, more playful than really annoyed.

"Why would we do anything else besides bug you about your love life, huh?" Uma said, making Harry laugh.

"There's no... love life, I've been flirting with him and now we're going out. How's that different from anything I've ever done?" He said, but he knew it didn't sound convincing.

"Are you kidding me? Back on the Isle you would have had at least five one-night-stands in all the time you spent just flirting with the king." She said. "And I know you haven't been hooking up with anyone else since we got in Auradon."

Truth be told, not even Harry knew why he was doing that. He knew he could be trying out his luck with all the fake good girls and good boys he met here, people he knew just from a look all it'd take was a kiss and they'd forget they were supposed to behave like ladies and gentlemen.

He could also be hooking up with old affairs from the Isle. Most of them had also came to Auradon, and he knows those people aren't the type to get attached, they always want to have fun.

But still, he spent a month here without even making out with anyone. instead, he kept it to PG flirting with Ben.   
He hoped he was not catching feelings for the King. He can't have that, not with someone as good as Ben. Harry knew he'd just end up finding a way to taint the boy with his darkness.   
That's just how he is.

That being said, it doesn't mean he can't have a little fun, right? It's not like he expected to get in Ben's pants on the first date, he knew the boy would not let him, but they can still talk, and if he's lucky, kiss.   
Harry really enjoyed his company, so he'd do everything he could to spend more time flirting with him.

Without getting attached, of course...

By the time he got to the ship, Harry's heart was beating a little too fast for his liking. What was that? Was he _nervous_? Evil, he doesn't get like that for a date. He can get anyone he wants, he doesn't need to be _nervous._

So he just tells his heart to shut the fuck up and spends a little more time than he'd like to admit picking his clothes.  
He tells himself that's just because he knows how important and how fancy the castle is, not because he's trying to impress.

He even took the time to make sure his eyeliner was more 'I'm cool and might be a bit of a bad boy' and less 'I might be actually psychotic'.

Of course, he had to deal with both Uma and Gil messing with him while he got ready, but truth be told, his life wouldn't be the same thing without a little bit of teasing from his friends.

He managed to be in front of the castle punctually, and as soon as he arrived, there was Ben.   
The boy smiled big when he saw him and Harry had to admit he melted whenever he saw that smile.

"You're actually on time..." Ben commented, hugging him. Harry is not ashamed to admit he lingered on that hug.

"I'm only late for classes 'cause I don't really care about them. They're boring." He said. "You, on the other hand, are exciting, yer highness."

The omega blushed so pretty for him. Harry was fascinated by how easy it was to make that boy blush and he planed on taking full advantage of it.

It turned out, Ben showed him this very cool game room that existed in the castle. Honestly, Harry felt like there was absolutely everything one could think of inside that castle.  
No one needs that many rooms...

But, he wasn't about to complain. They played different types of video games for a few hours, and honestly Harry had never even seen any of those things before coming to Auradon, but he enjoyed it a lot.   
Ben still managed to beat him though, but he didn't mind.

It really wasn't a romantic experience, they just acted like friends. Ben was a smart guy and probably chose that activity because it was a safe choice.  
All in all, Harry could just leave that place pretending he went to hang out with a friend...

But then, Ben pressed a button that made the game stop.   
"What? Why did you do that? I was finally getting good at it!" Harry complained, but then stopped when he noticed that Ben looked a bit distressed. "Is everything ok?"

"Are you going to kiss me or not?" He almost yelled. "Because I'm not sure if you're flirting with me just for fun or if you're really interested and I'm tired of doubting this. I know you probably don't want to be my boyfriend or something, and it's fine, but I really need to know if you want me like-"

Harry kissed him to get him to finally stop talking.   
_Damn,_ this was so good. His lips were just like him in general: soft and warm.

**BEN**  
He was on fire.   
That was what it felt like to kiss Harry. He was rough, but tender at the same time, and Ben didn't even know this was possible until that moment.

Ben felt like he was simultaneously drowning at the sea and getting consumed by flames, and he never wanted it to stop.

When the Alpha added his tongue, Ben was completely breathless. It was just a kiss, but at the same time, it wasn't. It was so much more.

Eventually, they had to stop to catch their breath.   
"Was that what you wanted? Was it everything you expected?" Harry asked, with a smug smile on his face. Of course he knew that answer already.

"And so much more." He answered, breathless. "But I think you should do it again just to be sure."

And then, fire again. He barely felt like himself, kissing Harry was different from anything he had ever imagined.   
He had never felt this urgency in a kiss before, this need for having another person closer to him.

Harry's tongue was inside his mouth, licking, exploring, taking charge. And Ben was just letting him because it felt too good.   
His strong grip was also doing things to Ben; a hand holding the side of his hip, the other on the back of his head.

The intensity was out of this world and Ben barely knew what to do with himself other than to relax and enjoy all those new sensations.

He was so lost in the feelings, in the fire, he didn't even noticed that by now he was laying on the ground, with the Alpha right on top of him.

When he noticed that, he startled and decided this had gone a little bit too fast for a first kiss.

"We... we should stop this." Ben said and Harry immediately let go of him, sitting up."I'm sorry if you were expecting more..."

"I wasn't." Harry answered. "Even if I was, you don't owe me anything."

Ben smiled at that. It was actually very sweet of Harry to say things like these.

"So... that was fun." Harry said, not nearly as smooth as he usually was.

"Yeah, yeah... fun. 'Cause that's what we're doing, right? Just having fun." Ben could smack himself on the face for saying this like that, but he wanted to prove he could be cool about it too.

He really didn't want to be the clingy omega stereotype.

"Yeah, that's it. We should have fun together again." Harry prompted. "Are you going to watch the tourney game tomorrow?"

Ben nodded, he always watched the games. He was still interested in tourney, even if he didn't have time to play anymore.

"You're thinking about meeting again after the game?" He asked and the boy confirmed."Well, I love the idea."

"Then it's settled."He said, and then gave Ben a quick goodbye kiss. "I guess I better get going."

Everything happened so fast, one moment Harry had his tongue down his throat, the other Ben was all alone in his game room contemplating _what had just happened?_

Ben really wasn't the type of person who just had fun with someone and then forgot about it. He was a romantic by nature, but he really really liked Harry and liked spending time with him, and he also really liked kissing him, but he just couldn't see a reason why Harry would want anything serious with him.

It's not that Ben looked down on himself, really, he knew he wasn't a bad boyfriend, he knew he was good-looking, but dating a king was more complicated than most people could handle. Besides, he knew Harry liked to go out with different people, and he'd never want to take something that made Harry happy away from him.

So, yeah. He didn't need to be that terrible clingy stereotype, he could deal with no strings attached making out. 

All in all, he was in ecstasy about what happened. That wasn't his first kiss, or even his first make out session, but still he felt like he experienced something completely new.   
He never knew he could even feel this type of _desire_. Especially not from just a kiss. Or, well, a few kisses.  
And his heat was still a month away, so he knew it wasn't something  
purely biological.

He wanted to talk to someone. Tell them what happened, how it was and how he felt afterwards. It's like he didn't want to keep the experience to himself.

He thought about talking to Gil, but that would be weird, since he lives with Harry and would probably be hearing it from him. And he would never mention any of this to his parents, so he decided to call Mal.

"Hey Ben, what's up?" She answered quickly, but by then he was already questioning himself.

"Is it... is it weird if I talk to you about my love life?" He asked, suddenly nervous."I mean, we broke up not that long ago, but you're one of my best friends."

"We were behaving like friends even when we were dating, so there's no reason to stop now." She joked."But seriously, it's not weird at all. You can always talk to me about anything."

He let out a breath with relief. Mal's friendship was precious to him and he was still a little unsure where they were standing.

"Thank God!" He said. "I really miss talking to you like that."

"So do I." She said. "But what happened? Is this some kind of girl trouble? Or is it boy trouble?"

Ben sighed.  
"I wouldn't call it trouble, exactly. I'd say things are going... well?" He knew he didn't sound all that convincing.

"It doesn't sound like it is." Mal replied. "So, spill it."

"I'm kind of having a thing with Harry?" Again, not so convincing.

"Harry as in Harry Hook? From Uma's crew?" She let out a laugh. "I did not see that one coming."

Ben blushed, thankful that the Alpha couldn't see him.

"Yeah, yeah... didn't see that one coming either. We have been flirting non-stop for the last month and now he finally made a move." He explained."But I don't know if he's ok with people knowing so, please don't tell anyone."

"Of course, Ben." She said, voice a little softer now.

"I'm not really sure why I called? I just... feel so giddy I wanted to share it with someone." He said.

"That's actually pretty cute." She commented.

"But also, I'm worried? Because I'm pretending I am 100% sure I will not get too attached, when I'm actually 60% sure I _will_ get too attached." The boy explained. "Does that make sense?"

"I guess." She answered. "I'm not the best person to help you deal with your feelings. Fuck knows I barely deal with my own. But... it seems like you're already falling a little bit."

He groaned. That's not what he wanted to hear.

"No! I can't be, I really can't. This will ruin everything." He exclaimed."I'm almost sure he doesn't really want anything serious. But really, it's fine by me. I get it, it's fine."

"It really sounds like it isn't, Ben." Just by her tone he knew the look she would be giving him if they were having this conversation face to face.

"But it is! I swear!" Ben insisted. "I just... want to enjoy our time together and see where this goes, you know?"

"I know how it is." She answered. "I guess you're right. I mean, everything in life is about taking a risk. Even if this goes sour, at least you'll try it."

It actually made a lot of sense when Mal put it that way. So what if it may end up being a terrible mistake? It may end up being a wonderful experience either, even if they never become a couple.

In fact, this sense of adventure was exciting. His heart was taking a leap tonight and the adrenaline was getting him high.

"And, yeah, everyone says Harry is a heartbreaker, but it only depends on you not giving him your heart fully unless you know you can trust him."She advised. "But really, Harry is not a bad guy. I don't think he'll truly do something to hurt you."

"By goodness, Mal. You're completely right." He answered. "When did you get this wise?"

She laughed and it was contagious, so they ended up laughing together for no reason, other the joy of knowing they still got each other company.   
  


T h e n e x t d a y

**GIL**  
Gil felt like he might pass out from how nervous he was. The game was only a few minutes from happening, and even if it was just a friendly game, no championship or pressure, it was still his first game.

By that time, almost everyone in the team was already used to his presence, had already warmed up to him. Except Liam, who still looked at him weird, but he wasn't really a threat.

He got ready at the ship and then went to meet up with the other players at school, for warm up and such.

As always, Jay was being a supportive captain and friend. And also making it very harder for Gil not to fall even harder for him.

"Ok, guys. It's time to show what we've got." Jay said, gathering the team for a pre-game pep talk."But don't stress too much. We just have to give our best and have fun, that's all today is about."

And then, in what felt like seconds, the game had started.

It was a though one, the other players were good but, thankfully, weren't overly aggressive. So, just as Jay said, all they had to do was give their best.

Jay managed to score, but it didn't take long for the other team to score as well. And they went the longest time with the score tied, which wasn't a bad result but Gil really wished his first game came with a victory.

It was very fun, even with the added pressure of it being a real game. He felt warm and loved watching his friends rooting for him, Uma even brought a poster with his name on it.

It was such a surreal experience, to be there on the spotlight, playing like he was one of the cool guys or something.

Things got even more surreal, once there was only two minutes left of the game and the ball was suddenly passed to him.  
He wasted maybe two seconds thinking about what it meant, but quickly did something about it: He did his best, managed to stay away from enemy players and managed to score a goal on the last few seconds left of the game.

He had made it! He scored the winning goal on his first game ever.  
He could barely believe it.

As soon as the game was over, the other players were all over him, hugging him, praising him. Even Liam told him he did a good job.

"Dude, do you know how much of a big deal that is? You're practically our team star right now!" Jay said, holding him tight.

"What? No, no, this was just a game. Everyone knows you're the real star." Gil was quick to reassure.

"Well, I don't mind sharing the spotlight with you." He answered.

Then, Gil was being hugged again, this time by Harry and Uma, who somehow got into the field as well.

"Man, what was that? Why didn't you tell us you were this good?" Harry said, sounding excited.

"Seriously, you could make a career out of this if you wanted, Gil. We're so proud of you." Uma said.

Gil already felt like he was floating and that only added to that feeling.  
Making Uma and Harry proud, being worth all the trouble they went through for him, was all Gil could ask for.

He was in bliss.

Soon, Ben also went talk to him, wearing a big smile on his face.   
"Gil, you're awesome!" He told him. "It's so good to see a fellow omega on tourney. Especially someone as good as you!"

He hugged Ben and thanked everyone again. He was still processing everything.

A few more minutes talking and all the noise started to die down as people started to leave and the players started to go to the locker room. However, Gil was still high with adrenaline.

"Hey, we should totally go out to celebrate. You, me and Harry." Uma prompted. "Wait, where's Harry?"

As soon as they noticed that Ben was also gone, it was easy to conclude what happened.

"Okay, then we could probably go without him. Or maybe wait until him and Ben are done?" She asked.

Gil, shrugged, not really wanting to go anywhere. In fact, he was barely trusting his legs to move at that moment.

"Can we do it tomorrow?" Gil asked. "My legs are killing me right now."

"Sure." She answered. "Just go take a shower, and I'll wait here."

"You think the locker room is empty already?" He asked. "I don't use it if there are other people there."

"I guess, look over there." She said, pointing to a group of players just outside the locker room, all already out of their uniforms.  
Normally, he wouldn't get in there even if the whole school was empty, but the pleasure of winning, of making people proud, had messed with his head.

So, without thinking too much, he entered the room, happy that he had remembered to take fresh clothes.  


"Woah!" Gil heard the squeak and turned around to realize  _jay was still there._

Thank Evil, he wasn't showering or naked, just shirtless. But it was enough to make Gil blush.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know you-" He started to apologize, but got interrupted.

"Hey, it's fine." Jay said, getting closer to him. "I was just surprised, that's all. You can come here anytime you want, you're a member of the team. And a great one."

Gil had to blush at that.  
"Thanks, Jay. I really had fun tonight."

"You know, keep training and there'll be lots of winning scores for you to make." He said. "Really, Gil. I'm proud of you being part of my team."

Gil wasn't sure why he did what he did next. He wasn't thinking, there was no rational thought behind his actions.

He blames part of it on the fact that he was still high with adrenaline and the happiness of winning. Of being part of something like that.  
It felt like everything was in slow motion since they won the game.

And then there was Jay saying he was _proud_ _of him. Can you even imagine that? Jay, charming, handsome, perfect_ _Jay being_ _proud_ of him?

So he just let the feeling consume him, let all these emotions, not only the ones he felt that night but all he had felt during that whole month, cloud his judgement.

Gil closed his eyes, puckered up his lips, and started to move his face closer to Jay's, intending to kiss him.

Right when he could almost _taste_ the Alpha's lips, he felt strong hands on his shoulders, stopping him.

"Gil... I'm sorry." Jay said, still holding his shoulder."But I love Carlos, I can't do that."

He froze. He suddenly felt numb, his brain barely catching up with what had happened.

"I know I kind of lead you on and I'm sorry." Jay continued his speech. "But I can't break his trust anymore than I already did. I just... I can't."

It took him a few more seconds to process what he had just heard and do something about it.  
It felt like the floor beneath him was disappearing.

"No, n-no, it's fine." He finally answered. "This... this is on me. I'm s-sorry."

And then he ran.  
He ran out of the locker room and across the field. He could vaguely hear Uma screaming his name, asking him to stop running, but he couldn't.

He ran out of the school and into the ship, feeling like he was going to suffocate from the tears. As he locked himself up in his room, he could barely breathe already.

Gil sobbed and sobbed, not even caring about all the noise he was making. In fact, he couldn't think about anything other than how bad he had fucked up. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the cliffhanger.  
> All comments are appreciated even if you just say "please update".   
> Hope you enjoyed it!


	4. Don't touch me, I'm fragile, I'm bitter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Uma interrupts Harry and Ben, Gil hates himself, then Harry also hates himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I'm SO happy with all the feedback and kudos♡ Please, keep up with the reviews, they make me soooo happy.   
> But I have to warn you guys this chapter is a heavy one, possible the most triggering one and also FILLED WITH angst. So be safe. 
> 
> WARNINGS: heavy mentions of rape, attempted rape, victim blaming, HEAVY SELF-VICTIM BLAMING, general violence, characters with very low self-esteem, prejudice, trauma, self-hatred, brief description of a murder.

**HARRY**  
He and Ben managed to escape a few minutes after the game was over.   
They went behind the benches and with barely any talk, they were kissing roughly again.   
Harry wanted nothing more than to let his hands wander all over Ben's body, but he knew the boy might not be ready for that yet. So he just let both of his hands rest on Ben's hips.

The Alpha was burning with desire and he could feel that the omega felt the same.

"God, we could have been doing this for weeks."Ben said, when they stopped to catch a break.

"Better make up for the lost time, then, yer highness." He answered.

And they were back to making out. Everything about Ben was so soft and delicious that Harry could keep doing this for hours.  
And he would, had Uma not interrupted them:  
"Hell, Harry! I've been looking for you like crazy!"

Harry could only sigh from the stress. Really? Couldn't she see he was busy?   
At least, Ben was blushing hard at being caught, and he was even prettier when he blushed.

"Yeah, but I'm kinda busy right now." He answered.

"Not anymore, you need to come with me." She said. "There's something wrong with Gil."

Suddenly, Harry's face softened and all thoughts of wanting Uma to go disappeared.

"What? Is he ok? Where is he?" He asked.

"I think he ran back to the ship. But he was crying, and seemed to be really desperate." She explained. "I called his name, but I think he didn't even listen."

Well, now that made Harry get really worried.

"Ben, look, I'm sorry, but I really need to go now." He said.

"Hey, it's fine." Ben answered, seeming worried as well. "If there's anything I can do to help, please tell me, okay?"

So, Harry and Uma just left running and went straight to the ship.  
He didn't know what they would do if Gil wasn't there.

A million different thoughts about what could have happened to his friend crossed Harry's mind and none of them were good which only made him more anguished.

By the time they finally made it to the ship, they could hear Gil sobbing inside his room.  
Well, at least they found him, right?

Uma tried to open the door, but, of course, it was locked.  
"Gil? What's happening?" She asked. "Please, open the door."

The sobbing just continued. They didn't even know if the boy could hear them or if he was too out if it to listen.   
"Please, just let us know you're not hurt." Harry tried. "Whatever it is, it's okay. We just want to help."

But it was in vain.

**GIL**  
He could hear them. Even if his own ugly sobs muffled their voices, he could still hear them.   
And the worst is that they sounded so _worried_ , as if he were someone worth of their care and attention. But he wasn't and he knew it.

He couldn't believe what he had done. He felt dirty, he felt like was the scum of earth. How could he do this?

All of Hook's pirates were right. They were right to hurt him, to tell him he deserved it, to tell him he was a _worthless dumb slut_ because that's exactly what he was. And he couldn't open that damn door, otherwise both Uma and Harry would know it too.

For a brief moment he was able to make them proud of him that day, but it only lasted a few minutes. It was about to be washed away by the _shame_ of what he had just done. How would they still be able to look him in the eye after being disappointed like that?

Harry had warned him to stay away. He probably knew Gil was an insatiable little whore who wouldn't be able to keep his legs shut and, therefore, would bring shame to the whole crew with his actions. Harry was the one who caught him in the act with the other pirates, so he'd know.   
But Gil didn't listen to his warning. No, like a _disrespectful little bitch_ he did the exact opposite of what was asked of him. God, Harry was an Alpha, the first mate of that ship and someone to whom Gil literally owes his life. How did Gil _dare_ disobey him like that?

Gil knew he deserved whatever they did to him after bringing so much shame on their crew. He deserved to get punished, he deserved to have Harry's hook making him bleed, marking him permanently. He deserved to have Uma beat him to a bloody pulp for all he made them go through. Then, he deserves to get thrown overboard, he deserves to not have a single soul caring about whether he'd drown or survive.

And honestly, he could go through all of this. He knew they were both much more considerate than he deserved, so they wouldn't even go that far.

The reason why he was truly afraid to open that door was the disappointment he would have to face. He'd rather have Harry spit on his face, than hear him saying how disgusting he was. He'd rather have Uma punch him, than see true hatred when she looked at him.

He had made them fight a war for him. He had lead them to believe he was innocent, he was good, he was someone worth risking their own lives and the lives of others for.

He deceived them.

⚓  
It was almost the time they had planed for the attack to begin and Gil was a pile of nerves.  
He still wasn't sure that was the best idea. How could he expect Uma to organize everything for this battle? How could he expect Harry to fight against his own father and many other people who practically raised him?

"Guys, are you sure about that? Please... think bout it. I'm sorry to drag you into this and I don't want you to get hurt 'cause of me." He said.

"Gil, don't blame yourself for this, ok? Everyone knows you didn't want what they did to you, so no one else blames you for this." Uma said.

"Yeah, you didn't drag us into this." Harry added."My father did that when he hurt you."

That only soothed Gil a little, but he could deal with it. If his friends were sure that they really wanted to fight, then he'd be the best soldier he could be.

"Ok, everyone, it's time." Uma yelled, gathering everyone who was just waiting for her instructions."Let's just stick to the plan and hopefully things will work out."

And they did, for the most part: they managed to get the pirates by surprise, quickly surrounding the first group they found.  
Most of those weren't really loyal, and ran away as soon as the conflict began.   
Others, they managed to contain with ropes and chains. Uma hoped they'd be able to give useful information about the ship and the remaining pirates.

It didn't take too long for the others to wake up and notice that something was going on.   
And that was when the battle really began: sword fighting and screams, lethal wounds and blood.

They successfully managed to outnumber the rivals, which gave them the up hand in the fighting.  
Both Uma and Harry were brilliant with their respective swords, slicing anything that dared to cross their way.

Gil was fighting with a guy he couldn't remember the name; one of the Alphas that were part of the crew.   
And the rush of power he felt when he finally made the opponent lose his sword and become defenseless was out of this world.  
It felt like reclaiming something. Something these men had taken from him, and for the first time during all his time as an omega on the Isle, he felt _powerful_.

It only lasted a couple of seconds, but Gil would never forget that feeling.   
Then, he felt a rough hand on his hair yanking his head back harshly and suddenly he was powerless again.

"Well, well, well..." Captain Hook's voice soared in his ear. "It seems like we've got a rebellious little whore here."

Gil had a sword. He was good with it. He knew he wasn't as good as the captain, but he wanted to at least try to defend himself.

But all he did was freeze. That man had some kind of power over him, he terrified Gil in a way he had never experienced before coming to live on the ship.   
Of all the Alphas who took him, Hook was the most ruthless one. He wanted it to hurt, he wanted to prove how cruel he could be and he urged the others to do the same.   
So just looking at his face was like living a nightmare, was like being reminded of every way he was hurt over and over again.

"Please... leave me alone." Gil begged, pathetically.

The man let out a sadistic laugh, slowly dragging the hook through his arms.  
"You come into my ship trying to take over what's mine, your friends kill my crewmates and you ask me to have mercy on you?" He said. "You're even dumber than I thought, slut."

So he just took advantage of all the fighting, yelling and confusion that was happening to drag the boy by the hair towards his cabin.

He probably knew he was going to lose the ship anyway, Gil thought, since the odds weren't in his favor, and wanted to have one last memory of the chaos and pain he could create there.

Just as he was about to close the cabin, someone put their feet on the door, making their way in.

"Father, you're going to let him go."Harry said. "Right now."

He spoke as someone who was sure they were going to get what they wanted.   
He had blood all over his clothes and on his sword, even a little bit of blood on his face. And it clearly wasn't his.

"Son, why are you doing this?" Hook asked, still holding Gil by the hair. "This ship is going to be yours soon, anyway. Why betray your father like that?"

"Are you kidding me? Are you fucking kidding me?" He yelled. "You and your disgusting little crew _raped_ one of my best friends!"

Gil flinched at the word, but he was sure Harry didn't even notice.  
He was so out of it, bloody and screaming like a crazy man.   
Seeking revenge like a crazy man.

"You can't be serious." The captain laughed. "You are so much like me, son. You can't just let such frivolous things like an omega or friendships stop you from achieving your full potential."

"I am nothing like you." Harry said through gritted teeth.

The man finally let go of Gil, probably knowing he was too scared to go anywhere.

"Of course you are, my son.Just look at you." He said, getting closer to Harry. "Marvelous at fighting, dripping the blood of your enemies without a single care. You're just as ruthless as your old man."

"I wouldn't kill an innocent." Harry said. "And I would never do to an omega what you did to Gil."

The omega just watched the whole interaction, not trusting any of his limbs to get up and join the fight again or even run away.

"That's just how the world is! People like him" The captain pointed with his hook at Gil. "are weak, useless for anything other than our pleasure. People like us are strong, and you'll be much happier once you start taking advantage of that."

Harry looked possessed with how angry he was. If it was anyone else, Gil would be scared of them, but he trusts Uma and Harry with his life.

"Don't talk to him like that!" He yelled, pointing the sword at his father. "And don't you dare compare me to you."

"Or you'll do what, exactly?" The man asked, not seeming afraid at all. "I'm your father, I know you won't hurt me."

Then, the Captain turned and gave Gil a wicked side-smile. It was interesting how father and son had almost matching facial expressions, but transmitted different things.

He walked up to Gil and grabbed his hair again.  
"Take off your clothes, slut." He ordered. " _Now._ "

Petrified at the tone of voice, Gil decided that it was best to obey than to face the consequences and slowly started to take of his clothes.

"What the hell are you doing? I won't let you touch him again."

"Oh, I won't." He clarified. "You will."

No, no, nonono.  _Oh, Evil, no._

⚓

"Gil, please!" Harry banged on the door. "We just want to talk, ok?"

Gil took a deep breath. Now was not the time to have flashbacks of his past horrors, it was time to face the present ones.

Whatever the consequences were Gil knew he owed them both an explanation, even if it hurt him. What was done was done and there was nothing he could do to take his dignity back.

So he slowly got up and unlocked the door, trying to be strong.

But as soon as Uma took a look at his face, she said:  
"Oh God, Gilly. What happened to you?"   
And that was all it took for him to break down again.

"I'm so, s-so sorry. S-sorry, I'm just... " He tried to explain. "I'm sorry."  
Harry had to physically hold him, otherwise he'd fall to his knees. That's how weak he felt.

"Hey, we just want to make sure you're alright. Nobody is mad at you." Uma reassured him.

"You s-should... you should b-be." He insisted.

"Ok, then let's just sit on the bed and you can explain it better." She said.  
It was impressive how she could seem extremely calm in situations like these.

They did just that. He was sat between the two of them, trying to make the words come out of his mouth.

"All... all I w-wanted was to make you g-guys proud. To be a u-useful part of the crew... a good p-pirate. To... to earn w-what you guys did f-for me." He started. "But I didn't do t-that. And I'm s-sorry. I'm sorry for a-all the time you spent on m-me. But I can't be a p-pirate... I can b-barely be human. I'm j-just a _dumb bitch._ "

Both of them looked perplexed, shocked by the harsh words, but Gil knew they were necessary. So he went on:  
"Your father was right, H-Harry. I'm, I'm a _slut_... I'm just a weak, weak _slut._ I'm so, so sorry I made you think I am a-anything other than that."

"Hell, Gil! Don't say those stuff. What the fuck are you even talking about?" Harry asked, sounding shocked.

"I... I... I tried to kiss Jay." He finally let out, and then started sobbing again.

There, it was all out now.   
He thought it might feel good to admit it, but it didn't. It just made him feel even more unworthy.

"Oh, Gil..." Harry said, rubbing his shoulder in a comforting manner. "That guy was trouble from the very beginning, he doesn't deserve you."

He didn't sound mad, but he had to be, right? Had he not heard what Gil just said?

"Wait, you mean Jay as in Jafar's son?" She asked. "The one who is dating the De Vil boy?"

"Yeah, Gil has kind of a thing for him." He answered. "I knew, but he asked me not to tell you."

"I... I d-didn't want t-to dis-disappoint you." Gil explained.

Evil, this whole situation was a mess.

He needed to show them he understood the weight of his actions, that's the very least he could do.  
Mistaking their silence as... he wasn't sure, probably hate or disgust, Gil added:  
"Don't worry... I k-know I can't be here now. This place is for pirates, for fighters." He sniffed. "I'll go back to the Isle right now. That's... that's the place I should be. That's the place for people who are _bad_... and _dirty_. And that's what I-I am."

As they were still in silence, he was quick to add.  
"Of c-course... after you punish me for w-what I did. For making you think I'm a good person." He dropped to his knees on the ground."I'm worst than any enemy for b-breaking your trust like that and I know I deserve... I deserve to suffer."

He dropped his head too, not wanting to look them in the eye.  
He knew they'd be more merciful than he deserved, but their eyes wouldn't.

"Gil... please look at me." He heard Uma call and obeyed her.

He couldn't be any more disrespectful and insolent than he already was, tainting the image of Uma's crew with his wanton ways.

"Yes, I'm sad you didn't trust me with that information." She said. "But I am not disappointed. And I am _not_ kicking you out of this ship. You belong here, Gil."

Hm, _w h a t?_

"And no one is going to hurt you." Harry added. "We would never raise a hand against you. C'mon, man, you know that."

"But... but I..." Gil tried to find the words, but couldn't."What I did... That's not how pirates act. That's how weak sluts act, how _side bitches _act. I will only bring shame to our crew."

"No, buddy. You made a mistake and that's how humans act. You're not weak because of that." Uma said.

Gil always knew they both were too merciful on him, but they couldn't let him get away with that.   
What were people going to think? That the crew was a mess? That Uma wasn't able to control what happens in her own ship? Besides, how about the fact that he disobeyed a direct order?

"Guys... you... you can't do that." Gil tried again.

"This is my ship and if I want to say you're allowed to stay, then that's it. You are allowed to stay. " Uma said. "Now, please, get up and sit here with us again."

He obeyed again, of course.

"Gil, look..." Harry started, more soft than ever. "You don't really think like that, you don't really want to go back to the Isle, do you? I bet it's just... you're listening to _them_ again. Repeating things my dad and the others told you."

Gil didn't give him an answer because he didn't have a good one.  
That... that might be true? Sometimes, he thought or say somethings about himself that were exact repetitions of what he had been told.

Almost like they had burned it into his brain and mixed it with his thoughts.

"Anyway, you're not leaving this ship while you're in this mindset. We really don't want you to get hurt, Gil." Uma said. "You know why? 'Cause you're part of this crew, and we're always going to want you here, silly."

This also made a lot of sense. Even if he was starting to calm down, he knew his mind was still fuzzy from everything that happened that day.  
It was for the best if he just stayed inside.

"Thanks, guys..." He said. "I'm sorry for worrying you."

"It's fine, Gil." Harry said, already getting up. "I'm... I'm going to clear my head a little, ok? You two don't wait upon me."

And, just like that, he left.   
Harry was clearly trying to control himself, but it was noticeable he wasn't fine.

"You think he's mad at me?" Gil asked Uma. "'Cause he told me not to see Jay, and I d-didn't listen, so-"

"Hey, Gil, calm down!" Uma interrupted. "He's not mad at you for that... he's either very worried or spiralling from guilt over what his dad did to you."

Gil sighed. He hated when Harry did that... compared himself to his father or accepted the blame for the man's actions.   
Or blamed himself for not noticing sooner.

"Anyway, if he needs to be alone, then he needs to be alone." Uma said, knowing very well how Harry can be. "I'll check up on him first thing in the morning."

Gil gave her a half smile. Uma may seem like the confrontational type, maybe even an angry person to outsider, but when it concerns people she cares about? She's the most protective and adoring person he's ever met.

"Did Jay..." She tried to ask him something, in such a soft voice it didn't match Uma at all. "Did he at least kiss you back?"

Gil shook his head.  
"Harry is wrong about him. He's a good one." He said. "Told me he loves Carlos and didn't want to break his trust."

Uma made a face at that.

"I'm sorry about that, buddy. Now, I think we should get to sleep." She offered. "It'll help to put your mind at ease again."

Uma ended up sleeping in his bedroom; they did that sometimes when one of the trio had a rough day.  
They may have had this reputation of big bad pirates back in the Isle, but they had never passed the opportunity to cuddle.

**HARRY**  
He didn't knew exactly where he was going, he just needed to leave that ship.

It happened again, just like it happened every damn time: just when he thought Gil might be getting better, it turns out he's worse than he had ever been.   
It terrifies him. Knowing he's the son of the person who did this to his friend. It was like he could feel the evil in his DNA just thinking about it.

The guilt never left him. He should have known something was up from the very beginning. Gil was only 13 when his father accepted him into the crew, Harry should have known his father wouldn't let a stranger this inexperienced, especially an omega, into his crew without ulterior motivation.

_He should have known_ . After he found out what was happening all signals appeared to be clear, so why didn't he figure it out before? Why couldn't he save his friend from that?

"Harry?" He heard Ben's unmistakable voice. "I was heading to your ship, to see how Gil is doing... I got worried."

As much as he liked Ben's presence most of the time, he didn't know how he felt about him being there at the moment.   
His thoughts were messy and he wanted to be left alone with them.

"He's... he's going to be fine." He answered. "He's not hurt if that's what you mean."

Only he is. He is hurt, has been for years and part of it is Harry's fault.

"What about you?" Ben asked. "You seem agitated."

He moved to place a hand that was meant to be comforting on Harry's shoulder, but he really didn't need that.   
"Don't fucking touch me!" He kind of yelled, but immediately felt bad for it. "I didn't... I shouldn't have done that."

"It's fine." The king answered, a little bit startled. "But you are not. Is something bad happening?"

"You... you should get away from me. I'm not good for you." Harry felt a bit hysteric as he said it, but it was the truth. "I'm poison, Ben."

"Harry... I don't know what you're talking about. Just, try to stay calm, ok?"

Harry shook his head. Ben didn't understand it.   
"No, no. I mean it, you should not be seeing me at all. "He tried again. "I'll end up hurting you, I'll end up tainting you."

Ben looked even more confused and Harry started to feel even more out of himself.  
His legs were fidgeting and he felt like all this awful energy was trying to find a way out of his body, but couldn't.

"You're not making any sense, Harry." Ben said. "Did something happen to you and Gil?"

"He... he got hurt back on the Isle. My father hurt him." Harry finally explained. "And I really don't wanna be like him, but... I already am! That's why you gotta stay away."

Ben eyes went wide at that, but Harry wasn't sure what exactly shocked him.

"Look, I've never known your father, but I know you, at least a little bit. And that's enough to know you are not evil." Ben insisted on defending him.   
Harry needed to make him see, make him realize the kind of person he was.

"I'm a cold-blooded murderer, Ben. I'm a bad person!" Again, it sounded more like a yell than anything.

"Harry, please don't look down on yourself. I know that-"

_"I killed him!"_ Harry interrupted the king, screaming himself hoarse.

"You... you what?" Ben sounded more surprised than actually confused this time.

"I killed my own father, yer highness."  
  
  
⚓  
"Oh, I won't." He clarified. "You will."

If the situation wasn't this serious, Harry would be laughing at how ridiculous the idea was. Of course, he'd never do that.

"You must be crazier than everyone thinks, father." He answered. "I'll not hurt Gil like this and you should know this by now."

Father rolled his eyes, as if that was just teenage drama and not an actual life or death situation.

The man squatted beside Gil, who was just in his underwear by now, and grabbed his face.   
"Son, look at it. The bitch had a sword and was out there fighting, but all it took was one order, and here he is. Almost naked, kneeling by our feet." Hook said. "That's exactly how the world is supposed to be."

God, Harry felt sick. How could he have been raised by a man like that? Someone this twisted?

"C'mon, son. Deep down, every Alpha craves this. You'll enjoy the power as much as I do." He said. "So, do it. Prove you're just as much Alpha as your old man."

To make everything worse Gil was quietly crying his eyes out.   
Harry couldn't even imagine how he must feel, back again on this nightmare after being promised it would never happen again.

_"No."_ He answered simply, with gritted teeth.

Hook let out an evil laugh at that, and got closer to his son.  
"And who said you have a choice?" He said, smiling wickedly as he started to drag his hook against Harry's neck.

The boy took a deep breath. It was just pressure, it wasn't hurting yet. He wouldn't hurt Gil because of that.

Then Hook used his flesh hand to grab his son by his coat, digging the hook just a little deeper.  
"I know you won't kill me, father." He said, sure of his words.

"Do you, boy? How much do you really know me at all? Until not long ago you had no idea I've been fucking your precious little friend for years." He laughed. "Besides, even if I don't kill you, you know I'm not against hurting you."

To prove his point, he pressed the hook enough to draw a little blood.

"H-Harry..." Gil pleaded. "It's okay. J-just do what he wants... It's o-okay."

Honestly, Gil was too fucking good for that goddamn Island.  
The look of complete desolation on the omega's face would be forever burned into his memory.

"Look at that, son. The slut wants you to do it." He kept playing with the hook on Harry's throat. "Go ahead, show him his place."

The captain let his son go and went to grab Gil by the hair and drag him closer to Harry.

Then he just waited there, eyeing both of them wickedly.  
"It's fine, Harry... " Gil insisted, still crying."I understand, I s-swear."

Harry wasn't sure what came over him; to this day he didn't know what he was thinking. He doesn't remember thinking 'I'm going to kill him!', he didn't plan on doing it. Even if Hook was a sick son of a bitch, he was still his father.

But it seemed like his only other option was to do this terrible thing to one of the most caring people on the Isle, this thing he knew he would never forgive himself if he did.  
Gil had already been through so much, he wouldn't survive being hurt like this by one of his best friends, someone who was supposed to protect him.

Harry felt trapped, felt like he had no way out. So he had to make a way out.

In a swift move that even Harry wasn't completely aware of, he took his sword out of his sheath and stabbed it into his father's chest.

Time barely resisted on those few first seconds, he could vaguely hear that Gil was screaming, but other than that nothing else could get his attention.

"Father! Oh Evil..." He exclaimed, kneeling down next to the man and trying to stop the bleeding, but knowing it was in vain. The cut was too deep.

"I've... I've told you...we're more alike than you... than you thought." The man said, between bloody coughs. " _A cold-blooded m-murder... just like your father..."_

And just like that, he watched the life drain out of his father's eyes.

It felt like it happened in the blink of an eye... and the worst of it all is that all Harry could feel was numbness.

He wasn't sad over his father dying, he wasn't crying and he didn't feel the need to cry. His eyes weren't even glassy. How fucked up is that?

"Oh E-evil... I'm so, so sorry! H-Harry... I... "Gil was trying to talk to him, but honestly the Alpha couldn't deal with it at the moment.

"Gil, please... just put your clothes back on." He said and his friend took the hint, quietly doing as he was told.

Harry wasn't sure exactly how much time had passed as he waited there, looking at his father's lifeless body.  
It felt surreal, like he was just dreaming.   
That man was a monster and he most likely than not deserved to die, but Harry didn't want to be the one to do it.

Suddenly, the door to the cabin was opened.   
"Hey, I was looking f- _what the actual fuck? _" Uma said, entering the room slowly. Clearly not expecting the sight that greeted her.

It clearly wasn't a pretty one: Harry was covered in blood, kneeling on the ground next to his father's corpse and Gil was sitting on a corner with tears in his eyes.

Uma was an intelligent girl and she could picture more or less of what had happened in there.  
She quietly walked up to Harry and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Harry, are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah... yeah, I'm just... don't touch me, ok?" He asked, in a soft voice he could barely recognize as his.  
Uma let go of him as if she had been burned.

He felt like he wasn't worth being touched at all. His father's last words echoed in his ears, making him feel like the most evil being on that Isle.

He didn't move an inch as Uma went to make sure Gil wasn't hurt, asking him if he was ok and such. He was glad she was doing it, since he was in no state to take care of Gil at all.

"Harry... It's over. We won. Everyone is outside waiting for us." She let him know.

He nodded and started to move to get up, but he decided to do one thing before.

He wasn't sure why he decided to take the hook that day. Either as a reminder that they did it, they won, he, Uma, Gil and a bunch of other kids were able to take down everyone on that ship and prove their worth.  
Or as a reminder of what he didn't want to become. Something like 'that's the only thing I'm taking from him'.

Or maybe he was just hurt by that piece of crap so many times that he wanted to give it a new meaning, to reclaim it. He could still see a bit of his own blood on the top of the hook, after all.

Whatever the reason was, he took it from the man's arm and got up, following Uma to where everyone was gathered.

"That's it, everyone. We won." Uma announced and everyone cheered. "The ship is ours."

Harry wish he didn't feel so fucking numb and could actually enjoy what was happening.   
The ship belonged to them now and, more important, Gil was finally safe from the pirates' lecherous hands.

"So, give it up for our new and improved Captain Hook!" Uma said, pointing and him.

_Oh, no._ No, he didn't want that at all.   
The last thing he wanted was to be the new Captain Hook, even if he was supposed to be an improved version or something.  
Harry could barely control his own feelings, let alone a whole ship.

He wasn't about to fill that man's place.

Everyone was still cheering and clapping, but he raised his voice so he could be heard clearly:  
"Well, that just won't do. I think Uma should be our captain."

She looked shocked.   
"What? What are you doing, Harry?" She asked, practically whispering to him, not really wanting the whole crowd to hear it. "You adore this ship, you've always wanted to be captain."

"Uma, no one is as good of a leader as you are. You organized this whole thing alone, your strategy was impeccable. You deserve it." He said, matching her tone. "Besides, I'm not interested in being the new Captain Hook, in any way, shape or form."

She slowly nodded, understanding what he meant.   
"If you're sure about that... " She said. "But you're still going to be my first mate, right?"

He nodded, finally managing a small smile despite everything.   
"So, everyone, give it up for our true captain: Uma!" Harry said, this time loud enough for everyone to hear.

As the cheering went on, Harry couldn't help but let his mind go back to what he had done. He still had blood on his hands...

He truly wished he felt anything over it, but he didn't. He didn't even regret what he had done, he'd do it again and again if it meant not letting Hook hurt anyone else.  
And that's what scared him the most: what kind of monster kills their own father and claim they'd do it again?  
What kind of evil being kills their own father and feels nothing about it? Shouldn't he felt guilty? Sad, at the very least?   
There must be something very wrong about him, something worse about him than everyone else on the Isle.

It turns out, Hook must have been right all along... Harry was just like his father.

_He was just as ruthless and cold-blooded as him._

⚓

**BEN**  
"W-what?" Ben asked, shocked.

"Exactly what you just heard." Harry answered, looking distraught."Now you know exactly what kind of person I am. Still wanna be here with me?"

Harry turned his back to Ben, as if he didn't want to see his reaction to that.

Ben felt both his head and his heart hurting. His head was spinning from trying to process the information; he didn't even know Hook was dead at all. He just assumed Harry and his father didn't get along very well, which seems to be the case with most of the VKs.   
And his heart, well, it hurt to watch someone you care about looking so hopeless.

"Harry... I don't really know what to say." He started."But Gil has told me a bit about how he was... hurt back on the Isle. So, I can put two and two together and have an idea of the kind of man your father was."

Harry turned slightly at that. Looking like he didn't expect Ben to say what he was saying.  
So he continued.   
"And, I know you know that here in Auradon we don't approve of murder. No matter the circumstances. But I wasn't there, I don't know how the Isle worked..." His voice was soft as he spoke. "So, I bet there was a really good reason for you to do it. I still believe in you."

Harry's eyes were a little shiny at that, Ben could see he wanted to cry, but didn't allow himself to.  
Behind all the confident act, there was just a hurt boy who didn't feel safe enough to expose how he felt.

They went a long while in silence, just looking at each other. Neither of them wanted to break that strange bubble they had created.  
Until Harry talked again:

"He... he wanted me to touch Gil... to hurt him. And I... I just couldn't. I couldn't do that, Ben. I didn't want to kill him, you have to believe me! I just... I just couldn't be the one to hurt my friend like that."

Ben's heart shattered at that. He couldn't imagine a father wanting his own son to rape another person. The idea was too nefarious for him to even fathom. What was Hook even getting out of that? How could someone be so evil?

And the way that talking about it completely broke the Alpha was devastating. He still wasn't crying, but you could see the utter desperation and pain in his eyes as talked.

"Oh, Harry..."He said. "Can I give you a hug?"

Harry gave a weak little nod, and Ben hugged him as tight as he could, wishing he could heal all the pain and all the scars with that hug.

Harry closed his eyes and let his chin rest on the boy's head and Ben had never felt this warm in his entire life.

He felt like if he ever let go, Harry would just fade away. This thought only made him hold tighter.

There were no words he could say to Harry to fix this. He couldn't say everything was okay, because it clearly wasn't. In a world where a teenager has to choose between raping his best friend or killing his father, _nothing_ was okay.   
He couldn't say things were going to be okay either, because he was not really sure if they were. Can someone fully recover from something like that?  
So all he could do was try to transmit everything he felt into that hug.

He wasn't sure how much time they spent like that, and he didn't think Harry knew either. It could have been a minute or an hour, he didn't know. And honestly? He didn't care.   
All he wanted was to be able to comfort Harry as best as he could.

After a while, Harry slowly let go of him.   
"So... you're still not afraid of me?" He asked.

"I'm still not afraid of you."Ben made sure to look him in the eye as he answered."And I don't really think I could be."

Harry smiled at that, a real smile.   
"Well, it's getting late. I should go back to the ship."He said."I'm... hm... thanks. For all of that."

"You're welcome." Ben answered. "Can I walk you there? You... you're not in the best state, I wanna make sure you're okay."

Harry raised an eyebrow at that, probably thinking the idea was a little absurd. Ben laughed at that.  
"What? You think an omega wouldn't be able to protect you?" He asked, humorous.

"More like I think someone from Auradon wouldn't be able to protect me."He fired back. "But I accept the offer, yer highness."

It really wasn't an overly long walk, and they made it barely exchanging a word. It should be awkward, but it wasn't.  
It felt like their presences were enough, words weren't needed.

Ben's mind was rushing with everything that had happened. He felt a mix of emotions: sorrow, sadness, disgust... the last one at Hook of course.  
He barely registered when they got to the ship.

"Well, that's it, yer highness. Have a good night."Harry turned to go, but quickly stopped and looked at Ben again. "Actually... do you want to sleep here?"

Ben's eyes must have went wide at that, because the pirate quickly added:  
"I'm not trying to get in your pants, I swear. I just..."

He trailed off, but Ben got it. Harry wasn't very good at asking for help, but the invitation was all he needed.

So, he accepted and got in the ship with him.

He realized he had only been to the ship once, and never went to the living quarters.  
It didn't have too much space, but it was nice enough. Had rough touches that matched the personality of its three owners.  
He vaguely remembered Gil telling him how the ship was a piece of crap before the repairs and adjustments they had been allowed to make, once they got in Auradon...

When he got into the bedroom, Harry let him borrow a shirt. He changed in the bathroom and, absurdly, he thought he looked adorable in Harry's clothing.

Then, they went to sleep.

It was weird in a way, he had never shared the bed with an Alpha before. Just saying it out loud made him feel awkward, as if he was doing something bad just by being there.

But it also just fits perfectly. He rested his head on Harry's chest, felt his warmth and he knew there was no place in the world he'd rather be.  
There wasn't anything sexual about it at all; in fact, it felt like the purest thing he had ever done. 

T h e n e x t m o r n i n g

**UMA**  
She woke up a little bit earlier than usual, but she wasn't really sure whether or not she'd go to class that day.   
Both her boys had gone through a lot the night before and she didn't want to leave them alone. Of course Uma knew they could take care of themselves, but as a captain she needed to protect her crew.

She heard some noise coming from their tiny kitchen, someone probably trying to cook. Well, it seems like Harry made into the ship safely, which made her breath a bit easier.  
But was he seriously trying to make breakfast? The three of them knew Harry was a disaster in the kitchen.

So, she slowly untangled herself from Gil, who was still sleeping peacefully, thank Evil.   
He deserved to rest as much as he wanted.

She got up and went to the kitchen to see what Harry was up to.   
"Harry, are you trying to explode our ki- _Oh, fuck._ " She stopped in her tracks, 'cause who she found was not Harry, but Ben.

The king. Standing in her kitchen. At 6 a.m. Wearing Harry's clothes. With a frying pan on his hand.

Alright, that's not how Uma planned on starting her day.

"This is not what it looks like, I swear."Ben defended himself, with a hint of panic in his eyes.

"Relax, I'm not judging you." She said. "Your sex life is none of my business."

His eyes went even wider at that, and she wasn't sure that was possible.  
"No, no, no. There is no sex life to be anyone's business, ok?" He insisted. "I was just... comforting Harry 'cause he wasn't feeling so well. But that's it, I swear."

Uma raised an eyebrow at his desperation. Why did he care so much if she thought they were fucking?   
Then she remembered people in Auradon seemed to make a big deal out of this kind of thing, and decided to drop the topic.

"So... how is he now?" Uma asked.

"He's still sleeping, so I'm not sure." Ben answered."I was trying to make him breakfast, but I couldn't find most of your stuff."

Uma tried not to smile at that. The boy was just the kind of sweetness Harry deserved in his life.

She took the pan out of his hands.  
"We don't have much anyway, but let me see what I can do."

Ben frowned at that, clearly upset.  
"I thought I told you you can have whatever you want? We have communal gardens and supplies for free... did someone give you trouble over it?"

He was barely into his first few years into his reign and Uma could feel he was born for this.  
He looked like he was ready to fist fight anyone who disrespected the Isle kids.

"Chill, Ben. It's fine, we just... don't take too much at once." She said, a little bit uncomfortable. "We're still not really used to having this much food available, let alone all of it fresh."

Ben looked like a kicked puppy at that, just like he always did when someone remembered him all the awful things the VKs had to endure on the Isle.

She didn't know what to say, but luckily she didn't had to.   
Because Gil chose that exact moment to come into the kitchen.

"Hey, Uma. Did Harry come back?" He asked, still clearly sleepy. "Wait... Ben, what you're doing here?"

Ben flushed pink at that.   
"He slept at Harry's." Uma supplied for him.

Gil seemed to frown a little at that, but didn't question them further. It was probably too early for him to function properly... He was never really a morning person.

"So, how are you? Did sleeping make you feel better?" She asked.

Gil just shrugged.   
"Yeah, I guess..." He said. "But I don't really feel up to school... Will I get in trouble if I miss?"

"Not at all, Gil." Ben assured. "I can tell fairy godmother you were not feeling well."

"Thanks." He said, then frowned again. "Wait... did Harry tell you what happened yesterday?"

"Not really... he just said you were sad because of how you were hurt back on the Isle."

The silence following that was quite uncomfortable. The topic wasn't really easily approachable, much less from someone outside their trio. 

Seeming to notice the slight tension, Ben announced:  
"Well... I guess I'm going back to Harry's room and er... I'll see if he wants breakfast."

As soon as Uma heard the sound of the door closing, she asked:  
"Do you want me to stay here with you? I don't mind ditching."

Gil quickly shook his head.  
"No, no. It's fine. I'll just... sleep a little more and maybe think about what I'm going to do." He said."I think I'll go talk to Carlos, after class is over."

Uma raised her eyebrows at that. This didn't sound like a good idea at all. Gil had messed with his Alpha, Carlos probably didn't even want to hear his name.  
That is, if Jay even told him what happened.

The boy may be small, but he is from Mal's gang and she wouldn't have let him in if he wasn't capable of- Ok, Uma. You're not on the Isle anymore. That's not how people think here.

"But why?" She asked. "I doubt he wants to speak to you, Gilly..."

"I need to say I'm sorry, Uma. What I did... wasn't good." He explained, eyes a little glassy already. "Carlos is a good guy, and he's a friend, he didn't deserve that."

It was noble of him to want to do that, expose himself like that.   
So, who was she to tell him he shouldn't?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... are y'all alive after that? Sorry, things will get better for Gil eventually.   
> All kinds of reviews and feedback are appreciated♡


	5. Three is a charm, two is not the same

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos, Jay and Gil have a discussion, Harry and Uma get angry and Evie is a fucking queen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thank you for your feedback. Gil and Carlos finally have the talk you guys are waiting for. Enjoy! ♡  
> WARNINGS: Violence, blood, mentions of rape and sexual harrassment.

**Harry**  
He woke up to a sweet, soft kiss on his cheek. That softness plus the amazing scent he could smell, which seemed to be even stronger than usually, gave away who was waking him up.

"Hmm... Is it already school time, yer highness?" He asked, slowly sitting up on the bed, still tired.

"Almost." Ben said."Uma is making breakfast. I tried to do it but I couldn't find your stuff."

Something primal in Harry's chest glowed at the thought of Ben cooking for him, but he tried not to show it.  
After all, they weren't even boyfriends or anything. He had no right to feel like that for Ben.

Just then he noticed that Ben was back into the clothes he was wearing before coming to the ship.   
What a shame, Harry really liked having him in his clothes.

"Thanks for waking me up." He said. "Are you staying for breakfast?"

Ben shook his head.  
"I need to go back to the castle and change. I don't wanna be late."He explained."So... how are you feeling?"

Harry was kind of fearing this question.   
He knew he was a mess the day before. Literally out of it. But it didn't mean he wanted to talk about how he felt.

The guilt didn't magically go away and neither did the feeling of being similar to his dad. But he felt a lot less hysteric about it, thanks to Ben.   
And to a good night of sleep, of course.

"I'm fine." He said indstead."I mean, I know I was all crazy yesterday, but I'm better now."

Ben frowned at his words.   
"You aren't crazy, Harry. You're just hurt."  
How could he manage to be so sincere, so sweet all damn time?  
Harry just shrugged, because he had no response to that.

"Well, I really need to go now." Ben said. "If things get bad like that again, call me, ok? I don't want you to suffer alone."

Harry felt something warm in his chest, seeing how much the omega cared about him.

He gave Ben a goodbye kiss, which lasted longer than it should, but c'mon, the boy was delicious.   
And then Ben left.

Harry went to the kitchen shortly after that, finding Uma cooking there.  
"Hey..."He said."How is Gil?"

"Better, I think. But he's not going to school." Uma answered."And he also want to talk to Cruella's son later."

Harry made a face at that. Why the fuck would he do this? Sure, the boy didn't seem like the aggressive type, but still.   
The chances of things not going well were high.

Noticing his confusion, Uma supplied:  
"He wants to apologize."

Sometimes Harry wondered how Gil had survived the Isle before meeting them.  
How could someone this sweet have been in that hell hole?

Well, it made sense that he wanted to apologize, giving how guilty he was feeling the night before.

"And how are you?" She asked him.

"I'm fine." He asnwered."Just freaked out a little last night."

"You know Ben left here reeking of you, right?" She asked, playful. He couldn't help but smile at that. "God, look at this smug smile... And to think Ben tried to convince me you didn't fuck him."

She laughed, clearly not believing that.  
"But it's true. We did nothing." He explained. "I was just... kinda out of it, so he stayed to make me company."

Uma stopped what she was doing to look straight in the eyes.  
"Let me get this straight: you, the biggest player I know, invited an omega to your bed... for what? Sleep and cuddles?" She asked. "You're starting to fall for him."

"I'm not." He stated, firm. "I don't do dating, Uma."

She rolled her eyes at him and he couldn't blame her.  
He knew what it looked like... but he wasn't about to admit it to himself, much less to anyone else. Not even Uma.

Ben was the kind of soft that went surprisingly well with Harry's rough self. Their chemistry was undeniable.  
  
But Harry is not fit for that kind of thing, for relationships. Some may think he feels that way because he doesn't like the idea of exclusivity, but it's mostly not that.  
He knew he wouldn't be enough to sustain a relationship. He couldn't imagine himself being romantic or loving.

And a relationship with Ben? This was setting the omega up to disappointment. Harry would end up screwing this up and leaving Ben lonely and heartbroken.

"Harry... just don't waste any chances to have something nice." Uma advised.

He just nodded, knowing there was no good answer for that.  
Deep down, he knew she was right.

**GIL**  
Gil was sweating from how nervous he felt, as he was walking up to Jay and Carlos' room.

Class must have been over for an hour or so, so Carlos would be home already.   
Gil didn't know what he was going to say. He just knew he needed to find a way to apologize, but the anxiety of not knowing what was expecting him was terrifying.

Would he be angry? Probably. That's the most likely outcome. What Gil had done wasn't something to be taken lightly. Carlos didn't seem to be the one to pick up fights, but these circumstances were out of the ordinary.   
What if he was just sad and disappointed though? Gil really would have a harder time dealing with that than dealing with the anger.

Much too soon he arrived at his destination. It took him more than a minute to create enough courage to knock.

Carlos opened the door and seemed surprised to see him there.  
Gil opened his mouth to say he was sorry, to beg for forgiveness but nothing would come out. It was like he was physically unable to say anything.

Carlos looked tired. He looked like someone who couldn't sleep the whole night and Gil's guilt only got stronger.

"Jay is not here yet." He supplied, as Gil wouldn't say anything."He should be coming back from practice anytime now."

He winced. Well, at least Jay wasn't trying to make it a secret.

Finally, his mouth decided to catch up with his brain and he said:  
"So... you know about what happened."

"Yeah, Jay told me last night." Carlos answered, then sighed. "Look, I love him more than anyone in this world. But I can't force him to be with me when he clearly wants you. So, if you're here to fight with me over it, forget it. I'm not going to stand in your way."

Gil's jaw dropped.  
What the actual fuck?   
He thought he came here to fight him over Jay? In what universe Gil, as an omega, could compete with any other, let alone Carlos?

"Dude, no! I came here to say I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that, I knew Jay was dating you and I did it anyway. That's wrong and I'm so sorry! " He said, scandalized."But what do you even mean? Jay loves you so much, Carlos."

It brought him pain to admit, but the way Jay looked at his boyfriend? Gil didn't know much about love, no one from the Isle really did, but he knew that was it.

Carlos let out a mirthless laugh, eyes getting shiny with tears.

"Gil... he looks at you like you hung the moon. He talks about you with so much enthusiasm that I knew it couldn't be friendly. He laughs more whenever you're around." He said, and looked like he was in pain. "Maybe he got bored of me. Maybe he just realized he would be happier with you. But the truth is I knew I had lost him weeks ago."

This was not how this conversation was supposed to go at all. How could Carlos even think that?

"Really, I was trying to hold him as long as I could." He continued."I told him I wanted to join cheerleading, but I'm not sure I do. I just needed an excuse not to watch tourney practice and see the way he looks at you. But... this was selfish of me. Jay should be with who makes him happier."

No, Gil just... had this wanton vibes that attracted Alphas to him. No matter how much Uma and Harry tried to convince him there was no such thing, he knew there was no other explanation.   
But that was just it! Jay wasn't falling for him, he'd never do that when he already had Carlos.

And honestly, who would choose him over Carlos?  
"Carlos, you got it all wrong. What about the way he looks at you? All these years you two are together? Jay would never give up on that. You need to know he loves you, that's why he turned me down."Gil tried to make him understand. "And c'mon, you gotta know between the two of us you're the best option!"

"Oh, yeah, a nerdy runt is everything an Alpha looks for."

"Carlos... I'm bigger than an omega should be, I'm bulkier. I'm even taller than Jay, dude. That's not how an omega should look."Gil was also tearing up a little."I like aggressive, energetic stuff. I know I'm not smart. I'm ruined. There's nothing about me that would make Jay want to leave you."

"Can you two not tear yourselves down, please?" Gil and Carlos both turned to see Jay standing in the hallway. "What is happening here?"

Again, this is _not_ how he expected this to go. Shouldn't practice take longer than that? How is Jay back already?

"I came here to say I'm sorry, I swear." Gil explained. "But Carlos thought I was trying to be with you."

"Jay... I love you, I really do. But if you don't love me anymore, if you want to be with Gil, then you shouldn't feel like you have to be with me."  
Jay looked like his boyfriend's words physically pained him.

God, that situation ran out of control so fast Gil could barely explain it.   
He was just supposed to apologize, hear whatever the other omega had to say and get the hell out of there.

"Carlos, I do love you. I love you just as much as I loved you when we started dating. And I'm sorry for the way I've been acting. I'm not planning on leaving you, not now, not ever." He said. "Gil, I can't pretend I don't have feelings for you, 'cause I do. You're funny, and adorable and sweet, how could I not? But I can't be with you... I'm sorry for how flirty I have been, I'm sorry for the way I lead you on."

It was a relief, more than anything, to finally hear those words.   
Most of the time he thought he was crazy for thinking that Jay was flirting with him, for thinking Jay could ever feel anything for him.

So yeah, the situation wasn't ideal, but now he knew that he didn't make up all of that.

Jay sighed and continued his speech:  
"Guys, you're both amazing omegas, I don't even know how I managed to get two of the most incredible people out there interested in me. And I recognize that I'm the one who made this mess and I'm so _so_ sorry for it." He said."I wish that there was a way I could be with both of you, but there isn't. So... I have to choose my first love, you know?"

Gil knew that's how this was going to end, but he had to admit it hurts a little to hear it.

"But... what if there was?" Carlos asked.  
Both Gil and Jay turned their heads at him, with matching frowns.  
"What?" Gil asked, confused   
The whole situation was pretty confusing.

"You said you wish there was a way you could be with both... what if there was a way?" Carlos said.

"What? I wouldn't want to cheat-"Jay started, but got interrupted.

"No, what I mean is... I love you, Jay. You love me. Gil clearly fell for you. And you have feelings for him." Carlos explained."And Gil... well, I like your company and I feel like I should be pissed at you for what happened, but I'm not. Which means you're pretty special. And you must feel the same, considering you came here to apologize and check on me, even though you knew I could have just closed the door in your face."

All of this made sense to Gil, but he wasn't really sure where Carlos was going with that information.

"So, why don't we all start a relationship? It would probably be centered around you, Jay, but all three of us would be part of it." Carlos finally explained. "I've read somewhere about that, it's called being polyamorous. We can all be together and it's completely different from cheating 'cause we all agree."

That does sounds tempting. Finally managing to be with Jay without hurting Carlos and also having his company? Awesome.

"How would this even work?" Jay asked.

Carlos shrugged.  
"Well... I supposed it would be more focused on you from our parts, 'cause you're the link between me and Gil. But other than that we'd just see what works out and what doesn't." He said."Gil, would you be interested in that?"

"Are you kidding? Of course! I always see you guys together and wish I was part of that too..." He answered.

Honestly he couldn't have thought of a better outcome than this. Even if Jay had decided to leave Carlos for him it wouldn't be as incredible as this, because a very good person would end up being hurt in the process.

This way, everyone could have what they wanted.

"What about you, Jay?" It was Gil's turn to ask.

The Alpha still looked shocked as he answered:  
"As long as it's 100% okay for you two, I'd _love_ that."

Both omegas smiled at that. Gil doesn't remember being this excited ever in his life.  
"Then it's settled." Carlos decided.

"Well, I think we should seal it with a kiss." Jay suggested, wiggling his eyebrow playfully.

Then he turned to Gil and slowly got closer to him, softly grabbing his neck and bringing his face even closer.  
When their lips finally met, it was everything Gil had always dreamed of. Fireworks, butterflies and all that cliché auradonian shit.

The Alpha added tongue and even though Gil was a little bit lost, he knew he enjoyed it. _A lot._  
Jay managed to be soft and rough at the same time; softness in his lips and on the tender touch and roughness in his urgency and calloused hands.

They finally had to stop to catch a breath, but Gil felt like he could keep kissing Jay for hours, possibly forever.

Next, Jay turned to Carlos with a smile and began kissing him.

Kissing Gil was a new experience, something abstract that Jay had to make concrete. But kissing Carlos? That Jay was surely an expert on.

Gil watched as the two kissed, they already started it open-mouthed and looked familiar, intimate with each other lips and bodies.   
It was weird, he didn't feel jealous at all. All he felt was gratitude for being part of that.

After a while, they also had to break the kiss.

Then Carlos looked at him with raised eyebrows and Gil realized what he meant.

What they exchanged was more of a long peck on the lips than anything.As Carlos had said, Jay was the link between the two of them and, without him, their relationship wouldn't exist in the first place.

It was different, kissing an omega. Gil wasn't really attracted to omegas, had never been interested in kissing them, so it was a little weird. But a good weird, awesome weird. The kind that you only needed to get used to and might become one of the greatest experiences you ever have.

Besides, Jay watched with clearly interested eyes, so that was a plus.

"So... we were going to have a movie date about now... You wanna participate?" Jay suggested, talking to Gil.

The boy just nodded, not really trusting his words at that moment.   
So they went into the dorm and watched some random movie.

But honestly, Gil barely paid attention to anything that was happening on the screen. He just knew it was a new movie some kids from Auradon had been talking about.

But honestly, why would he focus on the movie anyway when Carlos had his head on Jay's lap while one of Jay's strong arms were around Gil's shoulders?   
That was heaven on earth and Gil could barely believe he could have it.

**UMA**  
"Guys, I'm back!"

Uma was immensely relieved when she finally heard Gil announcing that as he entered the ship.

He had been gone for hours, off to apologize to the De Vil boy and Uma couldn't help but worry that the conversation had gone south.  
Or worse that Gil had had another break down and needed to deal with it alone.

So yeah, both she and Harry couldn't be happier when they saw he just was fine.   
"How was it?" Uma asked.

"Better than I could dream."Gil said, blushing a little.

Uma raised her eyebrows at that. Wasn't this conversation supposed to be either a full-blown omega fight or at the very least the most uncomfortable interaction of the year?

"Care to elaborate, mate?" Harry urged, also seeming confused.

"Jay showed up, we talked and... now we both get to be with him."Gil claimed."We're all kinda dating now."

The first thing to cross Uma's mind was _'what the fuck'._ How could they both get to be with Jay? Alright, kids from the Isle may not be experts on relationship, but she knew that's not how they work... right?

The second thing to cross Uma's mind was 'that little fucker!' as she became mad at Jay. Who that little thief thought he was? Collecting omegas like trophies? Convincing them to be ok with that?

The third thing to cross Uma's mind was 'if I am mad about this, Harry must be _so_ pissed'. While she was the queen of holding grudges, Harry was the king of letting anger take over. And, as she looked at his face to see his reaction, Uma knew she was right.

He looked furious, his face red and jaw clenched. If they were in a cartoon there would be smoke coming out of his ears.  
"Guys? Why don't you seem happy?" Gil asked, innocently.

"That piece of shit wants to build a fucking harem, Gil." Harry said."He only wants to fuck you, to use you."

Uma could tell the moment something hardened in Gil's gaze.  
He clearly didn't like what he heard.  
  
"And what would be the problem if all he wanted was sex? I never say anything about your one night stands." Gil complained. "You get into everyone's fucking pants and if someone wants to do it to me they're evil? Why is that, I can't do the same 'cause I'm just an omega?"

Uma was _shocked._ Completely and utterly shocked. Gil had never ever confronted Harry or her in the way he just did.   
Maybe that boy was more important to him than Uma thought...

Harry stood up at that, looking ready to pick up a fight.  
"You know damn well that's not it." He said."If you wanted to fuck around, I wouldn't give a single shit. But look me in the eye and say that's all you want with him. Say that you wouldn't mind if he tossed you out like yesterday trash after he got what he wanted. Say you don't dream of having his fucking puppies or something."

As expected, Gil remained completely silent. Everyone in the room knew if he said any of these, he'd be lying through his teeth.  
So Harry went on.

"That's what I thought. I know I'm a fucking player, ok? But I don't deceive anyone, everyone I've ever fucked knew what I wanted and they wanted the same thing. I never told them we were dating, I never tried to convince two of them to be exclusive to me while I got to fuck both. "He said."I'm not pissed 'cause you're omega, I'm pissed 'cause I fucking care about you, you jerk."

"Harry might be kind of an ass, but he's right." Uma decided to intervene. "You deserve better than some guy who thinks you can only be with him, but he gets to be with someone else."

Gil's expression had already softened.  
"But Jay's not... he's not trying to..."He tried to explain, but failed. "Ugh, you just don't get it, ok?"

"Well, then Mr. Lover boy is going to _get it_." Harry said, already storming off of the ship.

Uma knew where he was going and what he was going to do, so she followed him. She wasn't sure whether she was going to help him beat the fuck out of Jafar's boy or to stop him from killing the guy.

"Guys, what the fuck?" She heard Gil, who was a little behind them, yelling. He probably also knew what they were planning, having lived with them for as long as they did he already knew what most of their outbursts meant.

Her head was fuzzy from all new information, frankly she wasn't expecting that day to go like that. Or that week, actually.  
They were walking pretty quickly, fueled by all the anger they felt, so it didn't take long to reach the dorms.  
Uma barely noticed the way until they got there.  
Thankfully, every bedroom had its owner names written on the door so it was easy to find Jay's.

She was the one who started banging on the door, the adrenaline from the run only making the situation worse.  
"Open the damn door!" She yelled.

Uma was being very insistent, so it didn't take too long for the boy to show up and open the door.

"What the-"Jay started, but got interrupted by Harry's fist connecting with his face. Of course, Jay punched back and it turned out into a full blown Alpha fight in seconds.

Uma decided she was going to let Harry have his fun, rather than join him.  
"Evil, what is even happening here?" Carlos showed up from inside the room, looking alarmed. His eyes widened when he saw the fight.

Gil showed up at that exactly moment, looking distraught at the scene he found.  
"Fuck, Harry..." He whispered, mostly to himself.

Carlos moved to try to separate the two, but Uma wisely stopped him:  
"Huh, huh. Fist of all, your boy deserves it." She says."Second of all, you really don't wanna get caught in an Alpha fight."

She may not like Jay, but it didn't mean she was okay with his omega being caught in the crossfire.

It didn't take too long for the blows manifest verbally as well as physically:  
"You think it's fine for you to go around taking advantage of omegas?You're trying to build a fucking harem, aren't you?"

Jay raised his eyebrows at that.  
"So this is what all of this is about, you psycho?" He yelled back. "Who I date is none of your fucking business."

The door from the room in front of the one they were in, swung open.  
From there, Evie and Mal came out looking absolutely scandalized.  
They had probably heard all the commotion and screaming.

"What the fuck?" Mal asked, probably trying to take in the sight before her.

Uma didn't pay any attention to her, focusing on the boys fighting in front of her.

"You're disgusting, you know that? Gil's naive, but he's not dumb, he'll realize what you're trying to do." Harry yelled.

"Why you're so interested anyway?" Jay asked, then let out a dry chuckle. "Do you have the same twisted desires your father had, Hook Boy? Are you a sick obsessive fuck just like was? Trying to make sure you have Gil all for yourself?"

"Shut the hell up!" Uma had to stop that, he didn't have the right to bring that up.

The story of what happened between Hook, Gil and the other pirates ended up becoming gossip all over the Isle, since each ex-crew member had a different version of what happened.

Everyone had heard at least a little bit about it. Even if the story was a bit twisted, there wasn't a single soul on the Isle who didn't know it.  
Some pitied Gil, others thought he was a slut. Many didn't give a damn, since the Isle was already filled by sob stories.

Jay turned his attention to her.  
"What? You don't want to me to say your little guard dog here is a creepy bastard that learned from daddy?" He asked. "Don't want me to make sure he didn't touch Gil the same way the old captain did?"

Harry took advantage of Jay focusing on Uma rather than on him, to punch the guy even harder on the face.  
He deserved it...

Uma finally looked at Gil's direction, wanting to see if he was fine; but of course he wasn't. He had silent tears rolling down his face, his cheek red.   
He hated when someone brought up what happened.

"Ok, enough! _Enough_!" Mal screamed, using a little of her Alpha voice at the end, and physically did her best to get Harry off of Jay.   
Evie and Carlos both helped her and eventually they were succesful.

Harry looked wild; blood on his nose and on his lips, eyeliner smudged, hair a complete mess and shirt slightly torn. Uma was proud of him.

On the other hand, the opponent didn't look all that different.

"Ok, now you two answer what the fuck is happening here?" Mal asked.

"This little fucker here is trying to build a harem."Harry said, through his teeth."He sugested that he should be with both Gil and Carlos at the same time."

"I was the one who suggested that, you total psycho! It wasn't Jay's idea."Carlos piped in, sounding absolutely horrified. "So all three of us can be happy without hurting anyone. We're together in this, it's not a fucking harem."

"Yeah, and Gil agreed to it."Jay made sure to add.

Mal opened her mouth as if she was about to speak, but Evie was quicker:  
"So, let me get this straight: all of this was just because Gil, Jay and Carlos found a way to make this weird love triangle finally, finally work?" She asked and everyone was quiet, because she was right. " _Oh my God_ , I can't believe how fucking dumb Alphas can be. I swear I hate every single one of you guys..."

Uma was bit taken back by her words. Evie, a beta, was the calmest VK she had ever met.  
But right now? There was fire in her eyes, there was fire in the way she talked.

"Harry, you can't go around beating people to deal with your shit anymore. You're going to end up hurting people you care about with your outbursts, like you just fucking did." She said, looking him dead in the eye.

"Well, I don't care about Jay." He said.

"Oh, yeah? But you care about Gil and he cares about Jay, you fucking smartass."Evie said, getting closer to closer to Harry and even pointing her finger at his face."Actually, talking about Gil, why don't you stop treating him like a fucking child? He can make his own decisions, he doesn't need your fucking approval, you piece of crap. You can't go around beating people up to protect him if he doesn't want to be protected, you're not being a good friend, you're being a condescendent asshole!"

Damn, the girl was fierce. Who would have known the most princess-like person on the Isle would turn out to swear more than sailor when angry?  
Well, Uma was impressed.

"You're so fucking worried about Gil, but not worried enough to think about how your own actions could hurt him, huh? Not worried enough to think that maybe he finally found something that made him happy and you're fucking ruining it."She said, but then she saw the slight smile Jay had on his lips and turned to him. "You can take that smug smile and shove it, Jay. You're acting just like him."

Uma wasn't very happy to hear that girl scolding her first mate, but Evie had a point. She couldn't deny that.  
She was anxious to hear the scolding the little thief was about to receive.

"Only it's not your actions, but your words. Even if Harry is a complete asshole, he didn't use any of the terrible things Jafar has done against you. 'Cause that's fucking low, you fucker! You had no right to say what you said about Hook." She yelled at her friend."But that's not even the worst, I can deal with that. What I cannot accept is how you didn't consider how your words might hurt Gil. You probably didn't even notice, but he only started crying after you fucking brought that up."

Uma looked around the room for a brief moment to see that everyone looked as shocked as she felt.

"I don't know the whole truth about what happened between them and neither do you, but I know you had no right to use that as some kind of tool during your fucking fight. Are you worried about Gil or about your ego?" The beta asked. "It doesn't sound like the first option since you just exposed what I can only imagine is one of the most traumatic experiences of his life just to make fun of Harry."

There was a small moment of silence after that, but it was charged. It looked like Evie wasn't finished yet, and by the way she was fuming, she had a lot more to say.

"So how about instead of going on with this shitshow, all of you don't fucking accept that Gil is a big boy and doesn't need any of you to decide what is fucking right for him and what isn't? How about you just learn to shut the fuck up and listen to what Gil actually fucking wants? He had enough choices taken from him already." She said, then took a deep breath and lowered her voice a little. "You know what? I'm out of here. I can't deal with you right now."

And she just left.   
With a murmur of 'fucking stupid Alphas' and the sound of heels stomping off angrily echoing though the hallway.

Uma's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe what she just saw, she didn't even think it was possible for Evie to get this way.

"I... I think I'm going to check on her." Mal decided, which was probably a wise idea, and followed her girlfriend. Well, they had never told Uma they were dating, but she assumed so. Since Mal and Ben broke up she and Evie ended up even closer than before, as if that was even possible, and Uma was quite sure she has seen they kiss at least once.

As impressed as Uma was, she had to admit what the beta said actually made sense.   
They were not on the Isle anymore, there was no need to attack someone. Not without hearing them out first. If Fairy Godmother hears about that, they're all going to get suspended. At the very least. And for what exactly? To protect Gil? Gil who was just managing to stop crying, clearly upset about everything that went down?

It didn't look like they did much protecting. Uma was a little bit ashamed of herself. She caught Harry's eyes and could tell he felt the same thing.

**GIL**  
What a fucking disaster.   
He was supposed to end this day happily lying on his bed, thinking about how he got into the relationship of his dreams.   
Not about how he had managed to mess everything up from the beggining.

It was all his fault, really. Just like it always was.

It started when confronted Harry back in the ship, acusing him of something he knew Harry didn't do. He knew Harry was just worried, this had nothing to do with him thinking Gil shouldn't sleep around. It was just his protective side showing.  
Honestly, just the night before he was crying over the fruits of his disobeydience and insolence and there he was, being a brat again.   
It felt like he was just too dumb to learn from his mistakes.

Thank God for Mal and Evie putting a stop to that fight. Gil couldn't deal with it anymore.

"Well... all of that was really fucking weird." Carlos decided to speak up. "So I think we could all just... worry about that tomorrow?"

Gil liked that option, but he still had to talk to his boyfriends... if they even had any interest in being with him.

"Yeah... but I want to talk to you and Jay." He say. "Alone, if it's ok."

Harry and Uma exchanged a look and she answered:  
"We'll be waiting for you right outside."  
As they left, Gil was still shaking a bit from everything that happened. He was still processing.

"Are you sure you don't want to sleep here? Away from that fucking lunatic?" Jay asked.

"Babe, chill a little, ok?" Carlos said, rolling his eyes as he used a tissue to gently try to dry the blood from Jay's nose. Gil appreciated Carlos' comment, since he really didn't want Jay and Harry fighting at all.

Harry and Uma are the most important people in his life, he didn't know if he could deal with them hating his partners like that. Gil never liked conflict, much less amongst people he cares about. He especially didn't want to cause the conflict.

"I'm so sorry. About all of that, all that trouble." He said, eyes downcast."I'll get if you two don't want me to be your boyfriend anymore. It's a lot to deal with."

Gil knew he came with a lot baggage. Yeah, he also knew everyone from the Isle did, but he was more messed up than most.

And well, he, Uma and Harry were a package deal. If Jay couldn't deal with them, what could Gil do what about it?

"What? No, no, you have nothing to be sorry about." Carlos said. "As Evie said, sometimes Alphas are just fucking dumb. That has nothing to do with you."

Only it had everything to do with him. But he appreciated the sentiment.

"Yeah, Gil. We love the idea of you being a part of us." Jay agreed, getting closer to him and gently caressing his cheek."You're not getting rid of us that easily."

Gil blushed both at the comment and at the gentle way he was being touched.   
At that, Jay softly gave him a peck on the cheek.

"But I do owe you an apologize." Jay said. "Evie was right about a lot of things and one of them was that I had no right to talk about whatever happened between you and Hook. It was incredibly insensitive of me. I'm so sorry for that."

Sometimes Gil thought that he needed to just get over it. It felt like a lifetime ago, but he was still crying over it.

He didn't even know if Jay and Carlos knew about it before Jay mentioned it. Yeah, he knew some of the pirates spread the word about what they did, but he was holding on to the hope that maybe they just had never heard about it.   
He kind of wanted to hide that ugly part of himself, of his history, but maybe it was better that way.   
Jay and Carlos had the right to know if they were getting damaged goods.

"It's fine, I was just... surprised." Well, maybe that wasn't the right word, but he tried. "I wasn't sure you even knew about that."

"One of the pirates was friends with my dad. I mean, not really friends, my dad has none of these, but we were neighboors and they talked sometimes." Jay said. "And I think another one started working for Cruella, right?"

Carlos nodded.  
Honestly, why was the previous crew so big and why all of them had such big mouths? Why scream to the world what they had put Gil through?  
Unfortunately, he knew the answer already: They were proud of the suffering they caused.

"If you want to talk about it, we'll listen, but it's completly fine if you don't. You don't owe us anything." Carlos said, and Gil must have shown on his face how grateful he felt, because he added: "Don't forget I was an omega on the Isle too."

Gil's eyes went wide, not even considering that someone might have hurt Carlos too until that point.

_"No, no._ _I know how it feels to have experiences you'd rather forget, but it never came down to_ _that._ I started dating Jay when I was 12 and even before that, having him and Mal as friends, managed to make me mostly safe." He explained, but Gil could see he was becoming affected."But I know what it is like to be gropped, to not be able to leave the house alone. Even when I was with Jay, people would try to grope me. More than once people have asked him how much he'd charge to let them have their way with me..."

He gave a pause and Jay wrapped his arms around him, in a comfort gesture.  
Gil stayed quiet, waiting for him to finish.  
"Twice, Alphas got really, really close to... doing it to me. One time it was Mal who saved my ass, the other time Jay did it."He told, looking Gil in the eyes."I don't know, I just... wanted you to know that you're not alone. That you can't blame yourself."

Gil felt the urge to hug Carlos for doing this for him, so he did it.  
Carlos wrapped his arms tight against him right back and he just squeezed harder.

Finally letting go, he said:  
"It got pretty bad with the old crew and Hook, they did hurt me a lot and a lot of times too... but I don't really want to talk about it, I think..."He said, unsure about his own feelings."But thanks for saying that. It's nice to hear."

Honestly, that conversation had soothen him so much.   
It was comforting, knowing they understood what had happened and didn't blame him.   
He still couldn't really believe that nothing about it was his fault, but he's glad there were people who think that.

"I think I should get going." Gil said. "I'll see you guys tomorrow at school."

He wasn't quite sure what to do, but Jay stepped further and kissed him goodbye, making him blush.  
He couldn't lie he _loved_ that feeling.

Carlos also gave him a quick peck on the lips, and the next second he was opening the door.

As he came face to face to Harry and Uma, he couldn't read them.   
Was Harry still angry about him dating Jay? Was Uma angry that he got Harry into a fight?  
Not really knowing what to say, he said nothing at all at first and neither did them.

So they started walking towards the ship in silence and an awkward one.   
They were all walking a little slow, as if the heavy conversation earlier had slowed they down.

Finally, to Gil's absolute surprise, it was Harry who decided to speak up:  
"I shouldn't have done that. Blue hair may be a little bit hysteric, but she's right."

Well, Gil should really go and thank Evie after today.  
"It's okay, Harry. I just... wish you'd give Jay a chance. That you both would. "He said, turning to look at Uma too.

"It's hard not to think he has some kind of ulterior motive to that. I mean, just yesterday you had a breakdown over that guy." Uma said, and well, she was right about that. "But still, we shouldn't be fighting your battles for you, over you, like that."

He completly understood them. He couldn't expect them to just trust Jay not to break him, when they know they'd be the ones to pick up the pieces if he did it. Not for the first time, Gil felt a little like a burden, but at least he wasn't drowning in this feeling.

"It's just... we're so fucking worried about you, just like we were on the Isle." Harry explained."But we're not there now, so you don't need our protection anymore. And, honestly, I don't know how to do anything else. But yeah, I know it doesn't mean I can just beat up anyone I'm afraid might hurt you."

That was actually pretty sweet and it explained a lot.   
He and Uma spend years chasing off all the wicked Alphas who tried to have their way Gil, and now besides all the other changes that came with living in Auradon, they needed to relearn how to treat Gil too?

"I'll always need your protection. Always. " He assured. "But not in the same way. And not from people I _want_ to be with, ok?"

Both of them nodded, also seeming to understand what he meant.

"We'll probably never be friends with Jay, but I swear we won't attack him anymore." Uma said.

And that was good enough for Gil, at least for now.  
Baby steps, right?

"Unless he really does break your heart." Harry added."Then I'll come back at that dorm and make his nose bleed twice as much."

"Deal." Gil said, and ended up laughing at how extra his friend was.  
Soon, the three of them were laughing together again, just like they should be.

The day had been wild from start to finish but at the end, Gil had everything he wanted: two amazing boyfriends and the best friends a pirate could ask for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not polyamorous myself, but I did a little research on polyamory, but PLEASE tell me if I describe something wrong or offend someone.  
> The relationship between Gil, Jay and Carlos is, if my research is correct, a triad (all three are involved) but also a hierarchical relationship where Jay is the primary partner to both Gil and Carlos, BUT Jay doesn't have a primary (they're equal to him). Hope this covers it all!
> 
> PLEASE, don't forget to comment, maybe leave a review if you want. Even if you just say "Please, update" feedback is important to me.


	6. I'm in love with your body

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gil, Jay and Carlos show up at school as a couple for the first time, Harry and Ben can't keep their hands off each other and Gil has a rough time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thank you so much for the comments and kudos! They are all much appreciated! Enjoy♡  
> WARNINGS: clear mentions of rape,mentions of violence, A CHARACTER HAS A PANIC ATTACK, non-graphic rape flashback, mentions of child abuse.

The next day

**Carlos**  
The day before had been completely wild. And, honestly, Carlos was still a little bit mad about that crazy fight.

At Harry, obviously, for fucking _attacking his boyfriend_ out of the blue, in their own bedroom. At Uma for not letting him try to stop the fight, even though he logically knew that it was wiser that way.

He was even a bit mad at Jay for just talking about what Hook had done like he did. Not only was it extremely hurtful to Gil, but it was unfair to judge Harry's action based on his father's actions. You _never_ do that to a VK.  
Jay didn't like to think about how Jafar would whip him bloody if he considered the boy hadn't stolen enough that day and Carlos didn't like to be reminded how his mother would beat him and lock him in a closet if he didn't do the chores fast enough.

So, yeah, even if Harry was a violent piece of crap he didn't deserve to be reminded of, much less judged by, the terrible things his father had done.  
But at least they talked it out, Jay apologized to Gil and everything was okay. Well, mostly.

As Carlos and Jay walked up to school, they ended up meeting Gil soon before arriving. Which would be very nice, except for the fact he was, of course, accompanied by both Harry and Uma.

You see, Carlos himself doesn't really _hate_ them, even though he's pretty pissed off. The jury's is still out, but he can't say the same for Jay, whose face already hardened the second he saw the pirates.

"Hm... Hey, guys." Gil said, not really knowing how to deal with the awkward situation.

Jay, deciding he was having none of it, went closer and pecked his lips sweetly.   
Carlos wasn't so brave, at least not with the two other Alphas standing there, eyeing them not so kindly.

"Well, me and Harry are off to chemistry now. Have fun." Uma told Gil, and that was probably code for 'I'll let you have a minute alone with your boyfriends' which, honestly, was nicer than Carlos expected of her.

Harry looked conflicted, but he didn't say anything, just followed Uma and left the three of them alone. Jay, who was already holding hands with Carlos, reached out to hold Gil's too. 

"You... you sure about that?" Gil asked."I'll get if you don't want everyone to know. Like, people from Auradon can be very judgy."

Well, he was right about that. In that sense, Auradonians were harder to deal with than Isle people. They were all fake smiles and polite laughs a minute and vicious whispers and gossip the other.   
All it took was one thing too different about you for some of them to make their mind. Of course, not all of them were like that, but the ones who were... Oh, did they raise hell.

But honestly? How bad could some up-nosed, prejudiced brats be, when you were raised by a woman whose first name literally means 'cruel'?   
Not too bad. Not bad enough for him to want to hide their relationship.

Jay also thought the same, because he quickly answered:  
"I don't give a fuck about them. All I want is to show off my amazing boyfriends, as long as you're fine with that."

"He's right, Gil. We're from the Isle, we can take disapproving glares from petty princes." Carlos said.

Gil smiled and reached out back to grab Jay's hand firmly.  
As they walked towards the halls everyone seemed to notice them, even if they did not understand what they saw.   
It was impossible not to notice, especially with the slightly smug smile Jay was carrying.

Honestly, Carlos felt like including Gil in their relationship was going to be one of his best ideas ever. He could see how well he fitted them and he hoped people would soon realize that too.

It didn't take too long for them to find a familiar face: Evie.  
She walked up to them a little unsure.  
"Hey, guys." She said."Look, Jay, about yesterday..."  
She didn't finish, probably not even she knew what she was going to say. Would she apologize? When she was 100% right about everything?

"Yeah, I wanna thank you for that. Making me see reason a little bit." Jay said.

Evie smiled at that, she had probably been a little afraid that Jay was going to be mad at her, but honestly how could anyone be? She single-handed saved the day from that whole fiasco.   
"Yeah, someone needed to." She said, playfully.

"I wanna thank you too." Gil said. "We're not very close, so you really didn't have to do that. But I'm happy you did."

Her smile grew bigger at that. Evie was a people's person, she loved to make others happy, she loved to bring people together.

"It was nothing, Gil. Someone needed to say it and I just happened to be there." She told him. "C'mon, guys; group hug!" Evie said, already opening her arms wide.

They all laughed but hugged anyway. Carlos loved when things were like that: carefree and cheerful.  
That's the kind of situation that was pretty rare back on the other side of the barrier, so he appreciated every second of them now.

Unfortunately, it didn't take too long for the bell to ring and they all had to part their ways, since none of them shared that first class.

**BEN**  
It was lunch time, and Ben was fuming as soon as he saw Harry's bruised face in the hallway. He had heard about what happened and he couldn't believe his... friend could have been so stupid.

"Dear goodness, Harry! Look at your face!" He exclaimed.

The Alpha just smiled at him.  
"You know I'm just as handsome as always, yer highness."  
Ben had to roll his eyes at all that smugness, of course.

"You sure you don't want Fairy Godmother to take a look at that?" He asked, but was almost sure of the answer anyway.

"And explain how I got it? No, thanks." The Alpha answered. "Besides, Uma already casted a spell to make it hurt less. No need to worry."

"I can't believe you were that reckless, Harry. You could have been suspended for that." He scolded."It didn't even help Gil in the first place, Harry. You cannot make decisions like that without thinking."

Harry's eyes were downcast, he looked genuinely ashamed of what he did. And, well, he should.

"I promise I already sorted out things with Gil." He said, voice softer than usual."But can we please stop talking about that?"

Ben nodded, deciding that Harry probably had enough of being scolded for what he did. Mal told him that Evie was out of herself, screaming at him and Jay exactly what they did wrong.

He kinda wished he was there to see what she was talking about, but at the same time he really didn't want to witness all that fighting at all. He was a pacific person by nature.

Harry smiled, then scanned the room quickly with his eyes and got a little closer to Ben, whispering in his ear:  
"Good, now I have a pretty good idea of what we can do during the rest of our lunch break."

Ben, raised his eyebrows at Harry. He knew what the Alpha meant, but they were in the middle of the school. They couldn't do anything there.

Harry must have noted his confusion, since he explained:  
"I can see the janitor's closet from here, and I bet it's empty right now." He said. "We should sneak in."

Ben's jaw dropped. He was a perfectly behaved student, he had never even thought about doing something like that.

However... well, he couldn't deny how appealing the idea seemed. Anything related to Harry was appealing to him. NOT that he was really falling in love with the pirate or anything.   
They just had chemistry, that's all.

"I don't know... It seems a little wrong?" Ben said, but he wasn't so sure about his answer.

Harry gave him a blindly smug smile. He probably already knew Ben would give in.  
"If you really don't want it, I won't push it." He got even closer. "But I know you won't regret it... I'll make sure of that."

And well, Ben was not made of steel. There was only so much he could take before nodding and entering that empty closet without a second thought.

Soon Harry was all over him. God, Ben would never get used to his kisses. He felt like he could burn at the contact.   
The omega didn't even try to take charge of the kiss, he knew how much Harry liked to control the pace, to be the one actually making an effort to make him melt. And Harry's hands, _God,_ Harry's hands were heavenly. They were rough and warm, just like everything about him. 

And they were... slowly moving south on his body. Stopping right on his ass.

Ben wasn't sure how he felt about that. Physically, he felt perfectly fine with it. Harry was barely doing anything, his hands were just resting there. It wasn't all that different from twenty seconds ago when they were making out while Harry's hands rested on his waist.

But he had never let any Alpha touch him like that, he always made sure to leave things PG. He never let Mal do that, and they dated for the longest time. God, they almost got married.  
If he allowed Harry to touch his ass now, what else would he allow if they started dating?   
Well... not that Ben thinks that this will happen. He knows Harry wouldn't want that. He is a free spirit and Ben won't take that from him.

But then, Harry started actively grabbing his ass. Almost like kneading it, he supposed.   
And, goodness, did it feel _good._

It was weird, in a way, but mostly it just felt really, really nice. It seemed like such a simple touch, but it made Ben tingle all over.But he really shouldn't be doing that kind of thing. At least not if he intended on keeping the promise he made to himself of only... going all the way with someone after he got mated. 

It started with the small things, and if he went on like that he knew he would loose control sooner rather than later.

Suddenly, the omega had a moment of clarity in the middle of all the hotness numbing his thought.  
What in the world was he doing?

"Stop." He managed to say.   
Harry let go of him on spot, taking two steps back. His eyes were wide and he looked worried.

"Are you ok?" Harry asked, still not getting close to him. "Did I hurt you?"

Ben shook his head, barely remembering how to make his brain work again.  
"I'm good. It just... got a little too much for me." He chose to say.

He knew he should tell Harry at that moment about his desire to keep himself pure until his mating ceremony.   
Harry had the right to know that, and then decide if Ben was just a waste of his time. If it was better to call this whole thing off, before he got too frustrated.

Ben needed to tell him right now. He needed to be honest about his intentions, whether or not that costs him that thing he has with Harry.  
But when he opened his mouth again all he said was:  
"It's just... your hands. We're at school, if you keep grabbing me there we'll be too..."

"Worked up?" Harry supplied.

"Yeah... We need to go to class in like fifteen minutes. We can't do stuff like that." He said."But it's okay, we can go on. Just keep your hands on my waist."

He should have told Harry about his vow. He knew he should.

But Ben wasn't dumb. He may be a little innocent when compared to Harry, but he wasn't dumb. He knew that whatever they had was evolving in this extremely physical way. And he knew that any young Alpha would be thinking they'd get sex out of it.

What if Harry lost all interest after he knew that? What if just kisses and light touches weren't enough to keep him around? Ben loved making out with him, but even more than that, he loved Harry's company.

And, God, he _hated_ knowing how much he already was the clingy omega stereotype he promised himself he wouldn't become, but he didn't want to lose Harry.

What was that word that Alphas called omegas like him? Right, _tease._ Ben didn't want Harry to refer to him the way he overheard some Alphas talk about their ex-partners; a little tease. Someone who provoked endlessly but never gave them what they wanted. The kind that only deceives and make fake promises to lure Alphas.   
He's overheard a lot more in the locker room when he used to play tourney. Those Alphas talked about those omegas like they were the scum of the earth.

And, even though he knew most of it was just sexist non-sense, he couldn't survive the idea of Harry hating him. Of Harry feeling like Ben wasn't even worth making out with. Of Harry calling him a ridiculous prude and never looking him in the eye again.

So he gave him that half-truth and went back to kissing, Harry was completely respectful of his wish, of course.

Ben knew that sooner or later the truth would come out, but he decided that later was a better option. He could tell Harry the next day or even the day after that. At the moment all he wanted was to keep making out with the Alpha without worrying about anything other than the kiss.

**JAY**  
"So, you're having lunch with us today, right?" Jay asked Gil, as soon as the boy left the classroom.

"I want to... but I usually have lunch with Ben." He answered.

Carlos snorted.   
"Then you should be fine. I just saw the King get into the janitor's closet with Harry Hook." He said. "Do they think they're being sneaky?"

Gil laughed and Jay couldn't help but think about how beautiful the sound was.

"Well, then it looks like he's pretty busy." He answered.

Soon they got their food and sat on the table where Jay and Carlos always had lunch, both Evie and Mal were already sitting there.

"Hey, Gil." Evie said, politely. "It's nice that you're finally having lunch with us. We're dying to get to know you more."  
Mal only nodded, not as invested in pleasantries as Evie.

Gil just blushed a little, seeming unsure what to do.   
Jay could imagine that everything was still a little bit overwhelming for him.

To be honest, things were also overwhelming for Jay. He got from being afraid of losing his boyfriend to having two amazing boyfriends in a few hours.And then, of course, there was the whole Hook fiasco. But things were looking bright, so Jay didn't want to dwell on that.

"You guys fit well together." Mal said, taking a good look at the three of them. Gil let out a little laugh.

"C'mon, I know I look a little bit out of place." He said, trying to turn it into a joke at his own expense."Look at how pretty these two are."

Jay knew Gil didn't have the highest self-esteem in the world. Little comments like this one, thrown here and there, made him notice that. His chest hurt when he thought about someone as incredible as Gil thinking so low of himself.

"Hey, none of that. You're beautiful." Jay said.  
"The prettiest." Carlos added, making Gil blush.

"I see that now that there are three of you, you'll make us want to throw up with your sweetness three times worse than usual, huh?" Mal joked.Evie rolled her eyes and gave the girl a playful little slap on the shoulder in response to her comment.

Jay could really get used to that life; having his closest friend around while he was sitting between the most amazing omegas he had ever seen.

Gil fitted into the group like he had always been part of them. But Jay supposed that was just the type of person he was, easy-going and loving. The type of person no one could ever dislike.

Jay couldn't imagine anyone evil enough to want to hurt someone this sweet. When he thought about what he knew Gil had gone through, he was fueled by pure anger.   
He also wanted to punch himself in the face for the way he mentioned it during the fight.

Honestly, he was suck a dick to even talk about that in front of Gil. And the way he did it? He was glad Evie had been there to talk, or rather scream, some sense into him.  
At least Gil had forgiven him.

It didn't take too long for the bell to ring. The conversation and the company were so good that time flew by.  
Before they parted their ways, Carlos asked Gil:  
"Hey, you and Jay don't have practice today, right? You should totally come to our dorm today after class." He suggested. "We could watch another movie or just... get to know each other a little better."

Jay enjoyed that idea a lot and it seemed like Gil also thought so.  
"Sure." He answered. "I'll just let Harry and Uma know."

Jay couldn't help but be a little bitter when those names came up.   
"You know, you don't have to ask them to do shit." He said, without really thinking.

Gil gave him a look.  
"I don't. I let them know, 'cause I don't want them to worry that I'm hurt or dead. Back on the Isle whenever I wasn't with them, I could be in danger."He answered."You're an Alpha, so you don't know what it feels like, but I can tell you it sucks."

Okay, now Jay felt pretty shitty. Why was he always saying the wrong thing lately?

"And that's what you get for acting like an asshole." Carlos said, which ended up making all three of them laugh.

"Yeah, sorry. I can be a real dick sometimes." Jay said.

"It's fine." Gil assured. "It's just... you need to get that Uma and Harry are my best friends. We're a crew. And, even if you hate them, that won't change, ok?"

Jay could live with that. It wasn't like he expected Gil to drop his friends because of him.He would never be that kind of Alpha.

"Ok, I swear I won't ever try to change that." He promised."Actually, I won't even say anything about them again, unless you ask me." He said, which made Gil smile and give him a soft peck on the lips.

**GIL**  
Class was over and Jay, Carlos and Gil were walking up to the dorms. He had let his friends know where he was going, they both looked a little worried but said nothing. Thank Evil.

Gil was feeling really good that day, about himself and about what was happening around him. Days like that were pretty rare for him and he knew it couldn't last long, but he was going to enjoy it.

As soon as they arrived, they all left their stuff at the corner of the room and Jay threw himself on the bed lazily.  
Gil wasn't really sure what to do with himself, so he waited to see what would be Carlos' next step.

Carlos also went towards the bed, laying beside Jay and using his shoulder as a pillow. The Alpha didn't seem to mind, since all he did was press the boy closer.  
Gil decided he was going to do the same thing; feeling comfortable enough to experiment with how exactly would be his inserction into their dinamic.He also rested his head on Jay's shoulder and Jay had the same reaction, pulling his body closer.

"God, I am a lucky guy." The Alpha said, which ended up making all three of them giggle.

Gil felt like he was the lucky one here, the luckiest guy on the planet. He couldn't describe how much he felt like he was walking on clouds.

Suddenly, Jay turned to Carlos and started kissing him.

Oh, so that's the part where they start making out? Well, Gil couldn't wait for his turn.

He decided to observe the two attentively.   
He had noticed things heat up quickly between Jay and Carlos. The moment Jay slids his tongue into Carlos' mouth they are both gone.

At that moment, Jay rolled slightly so he was almost on top of Carlos without ever stopping all the kissing.   
Carlos had his hands holding on Jay's neck, while Jay's hands wandered all over the omega's body.

Honestly, they made it look like a dance and it was so, _so_ beautiful to watch. Gil could feel his mouth watering at the show he was getting.

After a while they stopped and Jay reached out for Gil indstead, finally kissing him. It didn't take long for Jay to roll on top of him and, Evil, his body felt so fucking _hot_.

Gil had never really done stuff like that before, at least not because he wanted to. Who knew touches like these could be so good when you actually _wanted_ them?

Jay was grabbing his ass firmly with one hand while the other travelled for his body, finally getting to know it. Gil could feel that Carlos was watching them just like he had watched Jay with Carlos before, and maybe it should have been strange, but wasn't at all. It made everything even more exciting. 

Jay left his mouth for a little while and, before he could complain, started kissing and leaving small hickeys all over his neck. Gil couldn't help but let out a little breathy moan at that.

"Jay's great with this mouth, isn't he?" Carlos asked, and Gil tried to nod. "I love when he nibbles on my ear."

Jay let go of him and turned to Carlos with a wicked smile.  
"Like this?" He asked, already pulling   
the omega to do as commented.

Fuck, it was hot to watch. Jay absolutly knew what he was doing and Carlos wasn't lying when he said he loved it. The boy was absolutly melting under the touch.

Together they were a vision, Gil could watch them like this for hours.  
Their syncronism was absurd, probably from all the time they had to know each other's bodies.

Carlos was letting out small little whines that sounded mostly cute to Gil, but he knew probably sounded pretty hot to the Alpha.

"I'm barely doing anything yet and you're already like this?" Jay asked, with the smuggest smile ever on his face.   
But, well, Jay was as good as he was smug so who could blame him?

He stopped for a moment to take Carlo's shirt off, so he could touch more. And went right back at nibbling on his boyfriend's weak spot.

Soon Jay went after Gil again, laying on top of him and restarting the kissing. This time the kisses were even rougher than before, more urgent and full of desire.  
One of Jay's hands were firmly on his hair while the other was back to grabbing his ass. Gil could feel himself getting slightly slicky, but it wasn't anything to worry about. Particularly because he felt that Jay was also pretty hard against his hip.

He should have known things were too good to be true.

They parted a little to catch a breath, but their minds were still fuzzy from all this desire, so Jay whispered:  
"You fit with us so well... fuck, it's like you're made for this, for us."

Gil knew his boyfriend meant well, but it didn't stop the panic that he could feel bubbling up in his chest.The blood pumped in his ears and dread overcame him.

_'Look at how well the little slut takes it.' A pirate Gil didn't even know the name yet said, laughing as if there was something funny going on._   
_He was probably too drunk to care._

_'Yeah, it's like he's made for it, huh?' The captain taunted. 'Made for taking cock like the whore he is.'_

The memory felt too real, he could smell the alcohol from the pirate's breath and feel the cold from the back of the hook pressing on his cheek.

So, he pushed Jay's body off of him and yelled, in a frenzy:  
"Get off of me, get off of me, get off get off _pleasegetoffletmego._ "

He felt like he couldn't breath, like there was a solid weight on his chest stopping him from getting any air.

"Gil, I'm already off. You're ok, hey, open your eyes, look at me." He listened to Jay's voice distantly.

He wanted to open his eyes, he really did, but he couldn't. All he could do was try to take deep breaths, try not to drown on the memories.

He felt silent tears streaming down his face, but he couldn't do anything to stop them. He wanted to tell Jay and Carlos what was happening inside his head, but he could barely sort it out himself.

"Hey, Gil... it's fine. You're fine, ok? Everything is fine." Carlos said, voice completly soft. "You're safe with us, ok?"

Ok, he needed to get a hold of himself. He took deep breaths, trying to concentrate on what was real.

Slowly, he managed to open his eyes and look around.  
He was in a dorm room in Auradon. The only people with him were Jay and Carlos. No one was going to hurt him. He was _safe._

He slowly managed to convince himself of that, at least enough so that the panic didn't stop him from moving or talking anymore.

"I'm fine... I'm fine. I'm sorry."He said, even though his limbs were still visibly shaking.

"Hey, you don't need to apologize." Jay assured.

"I don't... I don't know what... I just panicked." Gil tried to explain.

"I think you just had what they call a panic attack." Carlos provided. "I've read something about it once.They usually are caused by something."

"I think... I think it was 'cause of what you said."He said, looking at Jay. "About me being made for it."

Jay's eyes went wide in a way that would be comical if the situation wasn't so serious.   
"I'm so sorry! I didn't meant it like that, I s-"

"I know." Gil interrupted. "It's just... It made me think about something..."He knew he didn't have to clarify for them to understand what he meant.

"Is there anything we should keep in mind not to do? I mean, things that could remind you of... " Jay trailed off.  
Gil shruged, not really remembering anything at that moment, but also still not thinking completly straight.

"Not really. Just like, don't say mean things and stop if I ask you to." He answered. "Any other thing that makes me panic is a surprise for me too."

"And is there anything we can do to help? If this happens again?" Carlos asked.

"What you said is fine. Maybe remember me of where I am and all that..." He said. "Y'know, it doesn't happen all the time. I mean, yeah, I freak out sometimes, but it's not that bad."

He suddenly felt ashamed of what had happened. He had been in that relationship for one day and a half and was already causing trouble.

"I'm sorry for ruining the mood. If you want, I could..." He offered, even though he wasn't sure exactly what he was offering. To finish Jay off? To leave them alone so they could have fun in peace?

"No, no. Please, everything is fine, ok? I told you you don't need to apologize." Jay assured. "Maybe we were just moving too fast."

But the thing is, they weren't. At least, that's not how Gil felt.   
He liked the pace they were going, he liked feeling _wanted_. The feeling could be magic when you wanted back.

Yeah, maybe he wasn't ready to go all the way yet. He has never been with someone like that willingly, after all. But he liked the hot making out, he liked wandering hands and he knew there were a lots of steps they could take before trying to have penetrative sex.

Wait, did the fact that he was already thinking about those things made him a slut? He decided not to think about that too much, otherwise he might spiral again.

"No, we are just fine." Gil assured."Things are fine, so please... don't treat me like I'll break next time we do it, ok?"

Both his boyfriends nodded, even though they still looked a little lost. "Hey, why don't we just watch something? I can make us popcorn." Carlos offered.

Gil nodded, just then realizing how hungry he truly was, after everything that happened. Actually, he was pretty tired too.

Which is why, after they turned the tv on and he was comfortably sandwiched between Jay and Carlos it didn't take long for Gil to fall sleep.

**HARRY**  
Fuck, making out with Ben was heavenly. It was the end of the evening and he was still thinking about the omega's soft lips.

"What have you been daydreaming about all day?" Uma asked him, certainly not missing how distant from everything he had been."And don't tell it has nothing to do with the king."

Harry rolled his eyes because what else was he supposed to do? Uma already knew the answer.  
He was doing a terrible job of pretending Ben wasn't special to him.

Usually, he could be with multiple people a day without an after-thought. Everything was just pleasure and, as long as everyone involved had the same intentions as him, he'd have his fun without even stoping to think about it later.

But there he was, still thinking about his stupid making out session with Ben, hours after it happened. And it was just kissing.

"C'mon, man... you like him, he likes you. Why can't you admit that?" She asked.

It wasn't so easy. He was already risking too much by having a fling with Ben, but to really date him? He knew he'd never be able to maintain a relationship with someone as good and pure as him.

Besides, the whole royal family would surely have a heart attack if Ben even thought about dating him. And he didn't want to be involved in any dramatic royal shit.

"Oh Evil, stop thinking about all the reasons you shouldn't do it and just fucking do it." Uma complained.

"Why do you have to be so bloody clever?" He asked, making Uma snort.

Seriously, she always seemed to know what was happening inside his head, especially regarding Ben.

Their attention was turned to the door, as Gil finally made home.   
He looked sleepy.

"Hey, guys." He said."Sorry I took so long. I ended up taking a nap there."

"It's fine, Gil." Uma assured. "You're in a relationship now, we know you won't be in the ship all the time anymore."

"Well, by the hickies on your neck I can see sleeping wasn't the only thing you did there." Harry couldn't help, but point it out playfully. 

Gil rolled his eyes, blushing, and gave Harry a mock punch on the shoulder.It was good to be able to still play like that with Gil, even after Harry's major mess up the day before. He knew he had fucked up, so it was important for him to make sure they were still on good terms.

The three of them engaged on conversation about everything and nothing at all; Uma mentioned some things that needed to be done on the ship, Harry complained about his classes and Gil talked about how perfect his two new boyfriends were.

Harry still wasn't the biggest fan of Jay or of the relationship, for that matter, but he knew it was not up to him.  
And, well, if that guy did end up hurting Gil, Harry would end him.

Things were fine until Gil blurted out:  
"I think I had a panick attack."

The room was frozen for a few seconds, both Alphas not ready for the suddenly serious tone the conversation started to have.

"Is that the thing where you get really scared, start to shake and cry and stuff?" Uma asked.

"I think so? I'm not even sure." Gil replied."Well... it was pretty bad. I felt like I was back with the old crew. I could smell them, feel them..."

"I'm so sorry, buddy." Harry offered, not really knowing what to say.

He always felt like his heart was being torn in two whenever Gil suffered because of what had happened. Even with Hook being fucking dead, it felt like he still haunted them.

"That's awful, Gil. Do you need us to do something?" Uma asked.

Gil shook his head.  
"I'm fine now. I just... kind of wanted to talk about it to someone." He confessed.

"You can always talk to us." Harry assured.

"Everything was fine, me and Jay were making out and things were _really_ good, you know? And then, they weren't." He explained."He said something that made me think about when I was being hurt. And I was there again."

Fuck, even in Auradon the ghosts couldn't leave them behind, could they?

Both Harry and Uma got closer to their friend and hugged him as tight as they could.   
A single tear slid down Gil's face.

There wasn't a lot they could do, but offer comfort. So they were going to do their best to do exactly that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it. Please, consider leaving a comment or review, no matter the size.


	7. We're just tryna figure everything out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gil forgets something important, Ben needs to work on his communication skills and Gil has a big decision to make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the feedback! Don't forget I feed on comments and kudos lol  
> Enjoy! ♡  
> WARNINGS: mentions of rape, heavy talks about consent, self-victim blaming.

A w e e k l a t e r

**GIL**  
"Well, shit." He whispered to himself. "Fuck, I can't believe I forgot this."

Gil was walking back and forth inside the ship, not knowing what to do with himself. He had truly fucked up this time.

"What happened?" Harry asked him.

"My heat is one week away from today and I still haven't got my herbs." He explained. "I don't even know how to get them here in Auradon."

You see, omegas have their heats every three months and they can last from from 3 to 5 days, while Alphas have their ruts every six months, always lasting 5 days.

However back on the Isle there was no real safe way to have a heat. The scent of an omega in heat was strong and enticing to Alphas. And, as stated before, many of these weren't exactly good guys.   
So, even when the heat was still at the beginning and Alphas in the omega's presence could still control themselves very well, they just _chose_ not to.   
And many of the Alphas who took advantage of omegas in heat, even warned other Alphas friends about the omega's location and their state. Which of course, made something that was already awful become disturbing and just plain _cruel._

As if the abuse, and the culture that dictated that an omega attacked when in heat was at fault somehow, weren't enough there was also the problem of pregnancy.   
It wasn't impossible for omegas to get pregnant outside of their heats, but it was rare. During those times, however, fertility increased in an astonishing way, making it almost impossible for an omega in heat to be knotted by an Alpha and not conceive.   
And let's just say contraceptives of any kind were extremely hard to get there.

_On the other hand,_ most omegas had a trick to fight biology. No one is sure how it started, but there was a mix of herbs that was known for stopping heats. Drink the tea before your heat, it will stop it from happening altogether. Drink it after you enter your heat, it will decrease the intensity and stop the scent.

You had to have coins for it, since it wasn't easy to make. The only ones who you could get it from were witches or wizards that knew enough about mixing potions to mix the herbs in the right way.

Most of the time, either Harry or Uma would get the mix for Gil. Dr. Facilitier was one of the most known distributors, but there were others. All weren't cheap, at least not by Isle standards.

The only time Gil ever had a heat in his life was his first one, when he was only 13. But things were fine since even though Gaston had been furious, he still wasn't as evil as to leave his son to his own devices in a moment like that. So, Gil had been safely locked in his father's basement to suffer through his heat alone.   
By the time he was supposed to get his second heat, he had managed enough coin working for the previous crew to buy the herbs he needed.

The thing is, Gil was not on the Isle anymore so he wasn't sure what to do to have access to the mix. He didn't even know where most of the distributors had end up after the barrier was broken.

"Why don't you just ask Ben? I invited him over today." Harry told him."He should be here any moment from now."

Ok, now Gil could breathe a little easier. Yeah, Ben was probably the best person to ask for this kind of stuff, since he's both the King and an omega.

"Actually, when he arrives can you let him know I'll be waiting for him in my room?" He asked and Gil nodded. "Thanks, mate."

Harry left and, suddenly, Gil was alone with his own thoughts.  
Most important stuff were free in Auradon, but what if the herbs weren't? Now that they didn't steal anymore, Gil had no means to buy them.

Well, maybe he could ask Ben to lend him some and then he figured a way to pay him back? It probably wasn't too hard to find a job in Auradon. But then again, maybe people wouldn't want to have a villain kid working for them.

Turns out, he didn't have time to overthink things too much, since soon King Ben was arriving at the ship.

"Hey, Ben." He welcomed the boy. "Harry is waiting in his bedroom."

He noticed that his choice of words made Ben blush and ended up laughing a little.  
"But I kinda wanted to ask you something first?"

"Yeah, of course." Ben replied, as nice and polite as ever.

"Do you know where I could get my herbs here in Auradon?" He finally asked.

The king blinked really slowly before answering.

"Excuse me, _what_?" Ben sounded confused, so Gil thought he hadn't listen.

"I asked if you knew where I could get-" He tried again, but got interrupted.

"No, I heard you the first time." Ben answered. He got extremely quiet for a while before talking again, just as slowly. "Gil... are you asking me to get you weed? 'Cause we really don't mess with drugs here in Au-"

It was Gil's turn to be absolutely shocked.   
Why the hell would that be his friend's first thought?  
"What the fuck, Ben? Of course not!" He almost yelled, in shock. "I mean my heat herbs, dude."

Ben frowned.  
"Heat herbs?" He asked.  
"Yeah, back on the Isle we would buy herbs to make tea that stops our heat from hitting. But usually only wizards or witches could mix the herbs, 'cause they were familiar with potions and all." Gil explained. "Please, don't tell me you don't have these here."

The thought was absolutely _terrifying_.   
He barely remembered his first heat, but he knew it was bad.  
He knew everything was hot and sticky and he couldn't get relief no matter how much he tried.

He didn't have a basement to hide from Alphas anymore, so he needed to drink the tea.

"I'm sorry, but I never heard about it before." Ben answered. "Look, give me the list of everyone you know that could make the mix. I'll put the best doctors and magic creatures on this case, to try and find out how to make this. But it won't get ready so quickly."

Oh, Evil. What he was even going to do?   
"Even after we talk to the witches, there are a lot of processes that need to happen in order for this to be approved in Auradon. We need to make sure it's safe and all that." Ben explained. "I'm really sorry, it seemed important for you, but we have a long way until you can get it."

Gil kept silent, trying to process all of this. He had no place to stay locked up safely during his heat and now he had no tea.   
He should have known that too many good things had been happening to him lately. The universe needed to balance itself.

Ben probably noted how his friend looked distressed, because he quickly added:  
"Don't worry, though. I'm sure I could get you contraceptive pills. You know, if you want to spend it with Jay."

Oh.   
_Oh._

Gil had an Alpha boyfriend now. Someone he was supposed to spend his heat with. This was expected of him, right?  
Suddenly, he felt like a failure as a partner for not even considering this before. This was the obvious choice, of course...

He didn't really want his first time with Jay to be on his heat, when he might not even remember everything. But he still had one week before his heat to have a memorable first time with his boyfriend.  
Suddenly he felt the urge to laugh. What was he even thinking?Someone as dirty and used up as him trying to plan some kind of special first time? His first time had been when he was 13, on the ship's deck, face pressed against the floor as a dirty old man laughed in his ear. And trust him, there was _nothing_ especial about it.

He should just get it done with, as soon as possible.

"Gil... that was an option. But you know you don't have to spend your heat with him, right?" Ben asked.

Gil almost wanted to scoff, but he couldn't be rude when all Ben was trying to do was help him.   
"I'm his boyfriend. I bet he's expecting this, I can't do that to him." Gil said. "Maybe it's a good thing I can't make the tea here. That way I can't chicken out."

The King looked slightly horrified at that.   
"Hey, hey, none of that." Ben said. "You shouldn't force yourself to do something you don't want to do. If Jay is really a good guy, and I know he is, he won't be mad at you for that."

Yeah, he didn't think Jay was going to be mad at him if he said he didn't want to spend the heat with him. But maybe he'd be disappointed, which would be so much worse.

Besides, doesn't he kind of owe him that for all the trouble he causes? I mean, just last week he freaked out in the middle of a really good make out session.

Seeing the doubt written all over Gil's face, Ben insisted:  
"I mean it, Gil. Here in Auradon we take consent very seriously. You don't need to let anyone touch you if you don't want them too. Even if you love them, your body is yours."

That made sense, but it was still a weird concept after having so many people treating his body like it was theirs.   
Theirs to touch, theirs to fuck, theirs to destroy...

"What would be the other option? Besides spending the heat with Jay?" He asked hesitantly. "I can't be in the ship, 'cause of Uma and Harry."

Ben thought about it for a few seconds, before answering.  
"I can let you stay in a bedroom in the castle. We have plenty of empty ones." He said. "You'd be completely safe and comfortable to spend your heat alone. And I could probably get you a few... er, toys of your own."

"Me? Staying in the castle?" He asked, startled. "No, I can't accept that, Ben."

He's barely worth of sleeping on the old ship, let alone on the palace's silk sheets.

"I insist, Gil. You're my friend, ok? I want you to have that, if you want." He told him. "You don't need to decide now. Just let me know at least one day before your heat starts so I can get you either the pills or the room."

Well. Gil had a tough decision to make.

**Ben**  
The conversation with Gil had been a tough one, but all of this vanished from Ben's mind as soon as he walked into Harry's bedroom and saw the boy sitting there, giving his 'slightly crazy' smile.   
It didn't scare Ben, it enticed him.

Ben was supposed to help Harry with his math homework. Well, that was the plan, but they both knew that wasn't really all they'd be doing.

They _did_ end up doing the homework. Part of it, anyway.   
But soon they were making out heavily again.

Ben didn't even notice that at some point Harry had become shirtless, but all he cared about was all that new skin he had to explore above him. All that flesh felt so hot against him.

Harry's lips were magical, there was no other explanation for how his kisses made Ben feel. It was the perfect contrast against his own and the omega loved every second of it.  
Harry kissed like he fought; ruthless and rough, with a fascinating passion.

Much too soon, he took his talented lips away from Ben's.  
"Can I take your shirt off too?" He asked, eyeing Ben hungrily.

He felt like he ought to say no. It was so inappropriate. But he wanted to say yes, so that's what he did.

If he thought it felt hot before, he was catching fire with all this skin on skin contact.   
Harry made sure to let his hands wander all over the exposed flesh.

It didn't take long for Ben to feel how Harry was rock hard inside his trowsers and that startled the boy a little.    
"Ok, ok. I feel like we need to cool down." He said.

Harry sat down, looking a lot confused and a little disappointed, but he didn't say anything.

Ben knew that was another great opportunity to mention the fact he wanted to stay pure until his mating ceremony.    
He couldn't keep deceiving Harry like that. If the Alpha didn't want to be with him anymore, there was nothing he could do to stop it.

He opened his mouth to say exactly that. To be completely honest with Harry about his intentions.  
Only what came out of his mouth was:  
"You know, we could have a picnic near the lake one of these days."

Why, by goodness, _why?_ This was so random to just blurt out in the middle of a make out session. And, of course, it didn't solve his problems.

Harry raised his eyebrows at him.  
"A picnic? In public? Where people could see us?"

Oh, right. This wasn't a good idea because he and Harry weren't in a relationship. No matter how strong his feelings were starting to get, the reality was that they weren't a couple. So they didn't get to do cute, public couple stuff.

God, could this get even get more awkward?

"Oh, y-yeah, right... it's... it's probably a bad idea." He answered, shuttering and blushing like crazy.

Harry probably noticed that the sudden realization had hurt the boy's feelings a little, so he offered:   
"There are other nice stuff we can do without having to be seen. How about we watch a movie in the castle tomorrow?"

Well, it wasn't as romantic as a picnic, but it was good to be reminded that Harry actually liked spending time with him and not only with his body.    
Especially when he knew he wasn't able to give it over completely.

So, he agreed. 

Thenextday  
 **GIL**  
It was a beautiful saturday as Gil, Carlos and Jay walked around one of the many beautiful gardens in Auradon.  
Gil hadn't seen this one before so their boyfriends promised that they would take him there.

He loved how Auradon had the most beautiful things he had ever seen. He loved admiring a good view, but everything was so ugly and hopeless on the Isle that he couldn't do that most of the time.

After smelling a lot of pretty flowers, they extended a towel on the ground so they could lay on it.  
"So, how did you like it here?" Carlos asked him.

He smiled.  
"I loved it!" He claimed."I always love finding new places in Auradon."  
Carlos smiled and gave him a quick peck on the lips.  
They did that very often now.

"I want a kiss too." Jay pouted, making Carlos roll his eyes at him, but he did gave the Alpha a kiss. Longer than the one that the omegas had shared, but they didn't deepen the kiss.

Gil didn't want to ruin the amazing morning they were sharing, but he had something important to share and discuss with his boyfriends.

So he opened his mouth, hesitantly:  
"Guys, I need to talk to you about something."

Jay frowned, clearly concerned.  
"What's it, babe? Did something happen?"  
Gil blushed at the cute pet name as he shook his head.

"My heat is going to be next week. And I can't get my herbs here." He explained.

"Oh, shit! Sorry, I should have told you that, but it slipped my mind." Carlos said. "When I first got here I asked Jane where to get them, but she had no idea what I was talking about."

"So, what do you do, during your heat?" Gil asked, hoping that would help him decide.

"There are things called contraceptive pills here. I can take them, share my heat with Jay and still not get pregnant. Isn't it cool?" Carlos told him.

He sounded so excited about it. What was wrong with Gil that he couldn't manage to be happy about spending a heat with his boyfriend?   
That's what he was supposed to want.

He gulped, the conversation making him more nervous than he intended. He barely knew what to say.

"But, what do _you_ want to do in your heat?" Jay was the one who asked.

He wasn't sure. He was ready to fool around and touch and have fun in bed, but the didn't feel ready to be fucked. He just wasn't there yet.

But it just sounded so unfair to him simply not letting Jay have this. I mean, how many guys he barely knew the name had been inside of him? How many Alphas that he hated? Wasn't it ridiculous that they had done that, but Gil wasn't allowing an Alpha he actually cared about to do it?

Maybe once they were there, naked and heat-driven, he would feel better about it, maybe he could even want it. Maybe if they tried it before the heat hits things would be better.  
Maybe he just needed to suck it up and be a fucking good omega for once.

As he didn't say anything for too long, Jay decided to speak up:  
"Hey, you know that whatever you choose it's gonna be fine, right?"

"I... I think you should have this. We're boyfriends, after all. I'm supposed to give you this."He said. "It's just... I don't know, it's been a while since the last time I got fucked. And I didn't want it back then."

Jay was clearly having none of it.  
"It sounds like you don't want it now either." He said. "Please, tell us how you really feel."

Gil took a deep breath, that conversation wasn't easy at all.  
"When I think about fooling around with you guys, I like that idea. I like the idea of touching you, of making you feel good, of being naked around you. But I don't feel the same thing when I think about getting... y'know, fucked." He said. "I mean, I want that someday, but thinking about doing it right now scares me."

He hoped he had expressed himself well enough, since it wasn't easy to say all that. It wasn't easy to sort out his thoughts.  
"Hey, it's fine to feel like that. We've been dating for a week, you don't need to jump into bed with us. Nobody is expecting that." Carlos assured. "Jay won't die if he doesn't get to spend your heat with you."

He knew it wasn't a matter of life or death, he did.   
But it didn't mean he wasn't worrying about it. He wanted to make Jay happy, he wanted to be a good omega.

"Yeah, but... it's not like I'm a virgin or something. I care about you guys, if other people got to have it, Jay should get it too." He explained. "I also won't die if I let Jay do it."

"I don't want anything you feel obligated to give me, Gil." Jay said. "It's okay that you don't want it, I'm not angry at you."

"But are you disappointed?" He asked, finally letting out his biggest fear in this situation.

Jay softly grabbed his face with both of his hands, making him look in his eyes.  
"You could never disappoint me, ok?" The Alpha said. "I swear."

"Are you sure?" Gil asked, not wanting his boyfriend to resent him later. 

"100% sure, babe." He answered, pecking his lips sweetly.

Ok, that had made Gil breathe easier. Knowing that Jay was not upset with him for making this decision, he called Ben as soon as he got back home and let him know he was going the take the bedroom in the castle.

Fivedayslater  
It was the end of the evening, and Gil was gathering his stuff to go spend the next few days at the castle.

"Did you get everything?" Uma asked him, a worried look on her face.

"I think so." He said."I've got a few clothes, food and water. I think that's all."  
She nodded, still looking apprehensive. Her expression matched Harry's perfectly.

He got why they were so worried, he was nervous as hell as well.   
Back on the Isle they would have moved mountains if it meant helping him get the herbs he needed not to go into heat.   
But there was nothing they could do here and Gil knew damn well how much feeling powerless sucked.

"I can walk you there." Harry offered. "I need to talk to Ben, anyway."   
He tried to sound nonchalantly about it, but Gil could see the worry in his eyes.   
"Yeah, that's fine. Thanks." He answered.

"Well... take care, ok? If anyone tries any funny business let us know." Uma said.   
Gil nodded and gave her a hug.   
It was weird how it felt like a goodbye, when they actually would only be apart for less than a week.

So, he and Harry ended up going the whole way until the palace in silence. There wasn't much to talk about anyway.   
Gil's mind was kind of a mess. Jay kept insisting that he wasn't offended or disappointed, so at least Gil wasn't worrying about that.   
But still, he barely remembered what a heat felt like. So it was mostly a new and terrifying experience for him.

Besides, he couldn't help but feel like he was imposing, being a burden to Ben. C'mon, a guest room on the castle only for him? He was just a peasant, he didn't deserve that.

As they finally arrived, Ben was waiting for them outside the castle, with a sweet smile on his face.

"Hey, guys." He said. "Gil, the room is at the end of the first hallway, on your left. There are two guards at the front, you can't miss it."

Gil's eyes widened. Ben really wanted him to feel safe there.  
"Thanks, Ben. Really, I can't ever tell you how much you're helping me." He thanked. "You're really a good friend."

Ben smiled, but shook his head.  
"I just want to help when I can." He explained. "But hey, do you want me to take you there?"

Gil considered it for a second, but decided against it. He just needed to follow the instructions on how to get there and it would be fine.

"Ok, then, I wish you good luck." Ben said. "Oh, and there are stuff for you on the first drawer."  
He blushed a little, realizing the stuff were probably sex toys.

Gil followed what Ben had said and had no trouble finding his bedroom.   
He gasped as he opened the door.  
The room was huge! If you put all bedrooms of the ship together they weren't half of that guest bedroom.

He lied down on the bed, feeling how soft and fluffy it was. Yeah, he could get used to this...

Curiosity got the best of him and he opened the drawer Ben was talking about, only to find out that yeah, he was right about its contents. He blushed again, but couldn't help but notice how even that kind of stuff looked fancy here.

Gil decided that the best he could do was change into his pajamas and try to sleep, knowing he would need a lot of energy.   
But it wasn't that easy.

His mind was absolutely restless.  
There was so much going on, he couldn't sort his thoughts out.   
At least, he knew he was safe there. Well, he was full of adrenaline as if he was in danger, but he knew he wasn't.   
There were two beta guards with full knight gear outside his door, so there was no way any Alpha could reach him.

He couldn't help but think about Jay and Carlos. Would they miss him? He knew it was a silly thought, but he couldn't help but want to be adored in a way that even a few days away would make a difference.  
Well, maybe the heat was already messing with his mind.

And then there were also Harry and Uma, who were probably worried to death back on the ship. They might be tough, but that didn't mean they had no feelings.  
They were both protectors by nature and Gil knew that not being able to do anything, knowing Gil was about to be in a very vulnerable situation was probably killing them.

Eventually Gil managed to fall asleep, thoughts, worries and dreams all getting mixed up. Even in his sleep he was a little restless, but at least he was alright.

When Gil woke up he felt warmer than usual, but he knew the heat hadn't really started yet. It only fully hit around midday. It started as only a little bit of slick running down his inner thighs and a faint sense of desire. But in a few hours the sheets were completely soaked, he was sweating like a fucking pig and the ache of wanting to be filled burned him inside out.

It _was_ pretty bad, but with the help of a few knotting dildos to keep himself from going crazy and many water bottles to keep himself hydrated, it was manageable.  
He didn't feel any pain, not real pain at least, the kinds the Isle had teach him, and most parts of it were just big blurs.

Jay's name slipped from his lips the whole time, he imagined the Alpha was with him and at some point he even remembered thinking he wished Jay was actually there fucking him.

But five days after that, when he could breathe easier and think clearer again, he knew he had made the right choice by spending the heat alone.    
Everything had been fine, no one had even attempted to get to him and after it was all over he was glad he didn't rush into having sex with Jay just because of his omega biology.

Even though he didn't have much to give, had already been through so much, he wanted his first time with his boyfriends to be special. Yeah, it might not be his first time ever, but it would be the first time he'll actually _choose_ to do it.   
So call him a hopeless fucking romantic, but he was glad he was waiting until he was really ready, until his mind wanted it as much as his body.

He was sticky and in desperate need of a shower, but he was also happy with himself and his choices. 

**JAY**  
Both him and Carlos were restless, waiting for Gil to show up. He had called them saying his heat had finally ended, but that he'd missed them and wanted to come over.

They had also missed Gil. It was amazing how quickly they got used to being three instead of two.

"He must be exhausted." Carlos said. "Five-day heats are terrible."

"Poor Gil... people say that spending heats by yourself is more draining than spending it with someone else." He said.

"Well, I wouldn't know. You know I've never spent a heat without you." Carlos answered, giving his boyfriend a kiss on the cheek.

Yeah, Jay remembered that Carlos had told him that, as he had always been small and thin and was always quiet and obedient, Cruella always thought that he'd end up being an omega.   
So, she started to make him drink the tea that prevented heats from a young age.

Turned out she had been right, and Carlos only found out because Alphas around him, AKA Jay and Mal, told him he started to smell like an omega.  
And, of course, he started getting unwanted attention from random Alphas on the streets.

"And honestly, I never want to. I had four heats since we arrived and I feel like I'd have busted into flames without you." He confessed, making Jay smile. It was good to know he was needed.

Before he could answer, they both heard a soft knock on the door.  
They quickly got out of bed, knowing exactly who was waiting for them outside.

Jay opened the door to look at Gil's exhausted face.   
He had most likely just taken a shower, hair all wet and body smelling of soap. However, as an Alpha, Jay could still smell the slick and the arousal underneath it all.

He had bags under his eyes and looked about to collapse.  
"Hey, babe." Jay greeted, opening his arms to hug him. "How are you feeling?"

Gil accepted the embrace, trying to hide his face on his neck.   
"So, so tired." He mumbled.

"Here, have a snack bar." Carlos offered. "I bet you're hungry too."

Gil nodded, moving to hug Carlos as well.   
Soon he laid on the bed, and both boyfriends laid there too, leaving Gil in the middle.  
The omega snuggled closer to Jay and whined:  
"I wanna spend time with you, guys." He said. "But I really want to take a nap too."

God, sleepy Gil was so fucking cute. Jay was so ready to see as many sides of this boy as he'd be allowed to.   
"So take a nap. We'll still be here when you wake up." Carlos offered, kissing his cheek.

"Have you let Uma and Harry know you're fine and your heat is over?" Jay asked.

"Yeah, I called them from the castle and told them I was coming here. I called Ben too, to thank him." He replied.

Jay was as impressed as Gil at how generous Ben had been, letting the boy stay in the royal castle for his heat.  
The king really was something else.

"Then everything is settled. Just lay here and rest a little." Jay said. "We'll be right here."

Gil smiled, still all sleepy, and nodded. He closed his eyes, and Jay began slowly caressing his scalp, hoping to help him fall asleep.

It worked, and soon Gil was sleeping like a baby.  
The complete silence and calm in the dorm, ended up making Carlos fall asleep as well.

As he looked at the two absolute angels sleeping peacefully in his bed, Jay couldn't help, but wonder how the hell had he ended up this lucky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys liked it! Please, consider leaving a review, I want to know what you think♡


	8. Come on give me that title, title

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gil, Jay and Carlos have a good time, Ben has some things to tell Harry and Uma is happy for her boys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the love♡   
> Things start getting really better at this point :) Enjoy!   
> WARNINGS: the slighest mention of rape, harrassment, insecurities, graphic smut (everything consensual in the smut, don't worry)

**Carlos**   
He woke up the next morning with someone knocking on his door, rather impatiently.

Carlos didn't even noticed he had fallen asleep the night before, but it turned out that him, Gil and Jay ended up sleeping the whole night.

He got up, still sleepy, and went to open the door. However, he wasn't very happy with who he found there.

"If you're here to attack my boyfriend again, I'll have to tell you to fuck off." Carlos said, giving Harry and Uma a hard look.   
Both of them rolled their eyes at him.

"We came here in peace, so chill, ok?" Uma said."We just wanted to check if Gil was here. It's almost school time and we haven't heard of him since yesterday."

Well, he supposed that wasn't too bad. As long as they didn't plan to hurt anyone, it was kind of cute that they cared so much about their friend.   
"Yeah, he's here and he's fine." Carlos told them. "He's still sleeping. He was pretty exhausted yesterday."

Both Alphas nodded, probably feeling as awkward as Carlos with that conversation, but also happy that Gil was fine.   
"We brought his bag and a few clothes, if he's planing on going to school today." Harry said, handing him something.

"Harry? Uma?" Carlos heard Gil's sleepy mumbling as he clumsily walked towards the door.

"They wanted to check on you." He explained."And to give you this."  
He handed the bag to his boyfriend.

Gil still looked confused and rather tired. But it was expected, considering how tiring his last days were. You can't recover from five days of heat with only a night of sleep.

"I slept the whole night?" Gil asked and Carlos nodded. "Wow, I'm sorry. It was supposed to be just a nap. Is it time to get ready for school already?"

"Almost." Uma said. "That's why we brought you your stuff."

"Are you sure you want to go?" Carlos asked. "No one will hold it against you if you want to rest a little more."

Gil shook his head.  
"Nah, I can't keep missing classes." He said. "I'm not good at most of them."

Carlos frowned. He decided he'd ask the boy if he wanted some help with his studies, since Carlos himself had adapted really well to Auradon's education system.    
But it was something to be discussed later, he'd just have to keep it in mind.

"If that's all, I guess we're going." Uma said, still rather awkward.

"Yeah... we just wanted to see if you're okay." Harry said, not meeting his friend's eyes. He clearly had problems with showing his feelings.

Gil smiled blindly.  
"I'm good. They were very good to me, I promise." He replied.

It warmed Carlos' heart to hear that.  
Yeah... he was glad Gil was a part of them now.

**BEN**   
It was lunchtime and Ben should be heading to the spot where he and Gil usually had lunch together, but he was trapped into a slightly awkward talk with a boy he barely knew the name.

He was a kid from the Isle who had stopped Ben to ask some random question about Auradon and then engaged on conversation with him.

"Yeah, yeah... I guess." He wasn't really sure what he was answering since he wasn't really listening to the guy. "I'm sorry, uh... Edward? But I really need to go."

The boy just smiled at him in a way that made him shiver.  
And not the good kind either. He was a weird one, really.  
"It's Edwin, actually. Edgar Balthazar's grandson." He explained. Oh, right, Ben felt like he might have heard something like that."But, please, don't go so early."

Yeah, he was surely getting a little flirty, wasn't he? This Edwin guy was an Alpha and Ben was an omega who really wasn't interested in having anything with him.   
He just wanted to be left alone.

"I mean it. I have to get my lunch and meet someone." He told, voice a little firmer. "If you want more information, you can ask Fairy Godmother about anything."

"But talking to her isn't as interesting as talking to you." He insisted, which was starting to frustrate the king.

"Well, I'm sorry about that. Maybe we can talk more some other time." Ben said and turned around to leave that annoying Alpha behind.  
Only, his arms got grabbed which stopped him from leaving the place.

"I thought I told you to stay." The boy said, through gritted teeth. 

Ben was usually a very calm person, but he felt his blood boil.   
Goodness, he was the _king_ , shouldn't at least that be enough to make this boy treat him with at least a little bit of respect? And above all that, he was _human._   
That should be enough.

"Look, you better let me go. I'm not telling you this twice." He said."I know what happened to omegas who were left alone on the Isle, but that doesn't happen here. And if you even think about touching me in any way, I'll throw you in jail for the rest of your miserable life."

The boy's eyes went wide, he clearly didn't expected this conversation to take this turn.  
"No, no... I-I wasn't thinking about d-doing that." He tried to explain, but was still grabbing Ben's arm.

"Well, if I were you I'd let go of the King right now, you little fucker." Ben turned around to see Harry approaching them. "Otherwise I'll have to shove my hook so far up your ass that I'll be forced to take it back from your mouth."

This wasn't what Ben had expected from today, but it was not like he could really blame Harry for picking up a fight this time.

Edwin tried to pretend be wasn't scared of Harry, Alpha ego and all that, but the scent of fear was unmistakable.   
At least he let go of Ben.

"And why is that any of your business, Hook?" He pointed his fingers at Harry angrily."Is he yours or something?"

"He might be." He said, grabbing the other Alpha's wrist certainly tight enough to bruise."But what matters here is the fact he isn't _yours_. And he doesn't want to be. So get the fuck out of here or else you'll beg to be taken to jail just to get rid of me."

What on earth was even that? 'He might be'? What kind of response was that?

Edwin was fuming, completely enraged, but he decided to get away while he still had his dignity. Everyone knew he could never take Harry on a fight.

As the guy left, Harry turned his attention to Ben.  
"Did he hurt you?" He asked.

"No, it's fine. He just grabbed my arm, that's all." He said, still a little bit unsure about how he felt about everything that had happened. "Harry... did you do this because you were jealous?"

The Alpha looked caught off guard.  
"I wanted to make sure you were safe, but..."He paused. "I can't lie to you. I was jealous as well."

Ben wasn't exactly sure what set him off.   
It was probably the fact that he was already riled up from the discussion with that annoying dude.  
But it also had everything to do with how he had been feeling the last few weeks.

All he knew was that he was tired from 'just having fun'.

"Harry, you don't get to feel jealous of me, ok? You just don't." He said, voice as firm as he could muster.

"Excuse me?" Harry clearly didn't expect the outburst.

"What are we even doing, Harry?" Ben almost yelled his question. "We're not boyfriends when I want to have a date in public, but you want to be protective of me as if we were. We're not boyfriends when other people are around, but you sure get all the benefits of being my boyfriend when we're alone. We're not boyfriends when I want to hold your hand at school, but you get to be jealous as if we were?"

Ben's eyes were shiny with tears that he absolutely refuse to let fall.  
He didn't want to cry over that.  
Harry listened quietly, being wise enough to understand that Ben had the right to be angry.

"I just... I'm sorry if I'm being clingy, but I can't help it, ok? I know I told you it was fine if we just have fun, but it's just not working for me to have half a boyfriend." He said."So if you really don't want to-"

He got interrupted by Harry pressing his lips against Ben's.   
Just as hot as ever, the kiss managed to make everything disappear for a while.

It was just Ben and Harry in their tiny bubble of burning passion.   
Eventually they both had to let go.  
They just looked into each other's eyes for a little bit, until Harry broke the silence:  
"I wanna be your boyfriend. I really do." He said. "But I can't."

That shattered Ben's heart a little, he couldn't lie.  
He should have known that an Alpha like Harry wouldn't want to be attached to someone like that. He was a free spirit, after all.  
It was foolish of Ben to believe that whatever was going on between was strong enough to make Harry give up his freedom.

"Because you don't want to be tied down?" He asked, more to confirm his fears than anything.

"Because you deserve better." Harry answered.  
"I deserve... _what?_ " That really wasn't what Ben had in mind at all. "Harry, I can't believe that's the only reason we're not together. I thought that at the very least you'd be worried about all the media harassment tha comes with dating a king... but c'mon, me deserving better? That's your excuse?"

"I'm not worried about a few idiots with cameras, not really worried, at least. I can always tell them to fuck off." Harry said. "But you're just... too good for me. You're the purest, kindest person I've ever meet. You don't deserve to date a murderer."

That had never crossed Ben's mind at all, but it made sense that Harry would feel like that. He always carried so much guilt about his past.

"I will make you dirty if I get too close." He kept talking."You should be protected from people like me."

"Harry... that's not up to you, ok?" His words were sharp, but his voice was soft. "You don't get to decide what I deserve or whether I should want to be protected from you. I'm the one who needs to decide that."

Harry didn't answer him, so he went on.  
"This is your problem, Harry. When you care about someone you want to protect them so much that you end up making a bigger mess out of things. That's what you did with Gil and that's what you're doing to me right now." He explained. "I'm not judging you for that. I know that you just want to keep people who are important to you safe, but you cannot make decisions like that on your own."

"Ben... I'm sorry for that. You're right, I should have told you how I felt, but... can't you see I'm not fit for romance?" Harry insisted. "I am going to fail, I know I am. I'm going to break your heart and darken your soul, Ben. You don't deserve that."

He gently grabbed Harry's face.   
"That's a risk I am willing to take." He assured."If you don't want to be with me, just say it. But if you do, don't hold yourself back because you're too afraid of hurting me. I'm not afraid, Harry... I could never be afraid of you."

Harry was still looking deep into his eyes. He went completely quiet, barely breathing.Ben thought that that was it, Harry would give up on him altogether. Maybe his feelings just weren't strong enough to fight his insecurities.

But then Harry smiled brightly at him. A real smile, full of feeling.    
"I won't forgive myself if I hurt you, but I won't forgive myself if I let you go either." He stated. "I just... I can't lose you, Ben."

"You won't." Ben answered, smiling as well. "I promise."

Their lips finally met again, but it was different this time. The fire was still there, but it was more gentle than usual.   
There were more feelings being transmitted there.  
Not that the feelings didn't exist before, they just weren't seen as clearly.

As soon as they let go of each other, they were smiling again:  
"Should I prepare myself for the wrath of your parents?" Harry asked, sounding playful, but also not really.

Well, he couldn't lie and say that they would be completely fine with it. His parents were already quite awkward with accepting Mal as his girlfriend in the first place and Harry had even more of a "bad boy" vibe, at least there in Auradon.

Besides, he knew his parents secretly wished that he'd date a princess or a prince, or at least someone who was born in Auradon.   
Well, he wasn't sorry to disappoint, not in that case.

"Let's just not worry about that. They'll hear the rumors eventually, then they'll freak out and demand to meet you personally." He explained. "When that happens we can start worrying."

Harry let out a little laugh at his words.  
"As you wish, yer highness." The Alpha said, kissing the boy's forehead. 

"You know that technically it's your majesty, right?" Ben asked, also ending up laughing.   
Harry held one finger close to his mouth, in a sign for him to keep it shut.

"Shhh, don't ruin the moment, yer highness."

**GIL**  
After the last class of the day, he was walking through the halls with his crewmates, but he had something on his mind.  
"So... I was kinda planing on going to the dorm again today?" He said, a little unsure. After all he barely saw his friends the last week, but well... he couldn't wait to finally spend some time with his boyfriends as well, since all he did the day before was sleep.

"Just let us know if you plan on spending the night." Uma asked, and it sounded like she had no problem with it.

"I don't. I'll be back in the ship before the evening ends." He explains.

He was about to leave, anxious to have some alone time with Jay and Carlos, now that he wasn't as exhausted as he had been the night before, but Harry started to talk.  
"Guys... I have some news, I guess." He said, looking rather uncomfortable. "Me and Ben are finally official."

"Oh my God, fucking finally!" Uma yelped, completely exasperated. "I thought I was going to die of old age before you got your head out of your ass."

Harry rolled his eyes and Gil couldn't help but laugh at the whole interaction.   
"That's nice, Harry." He answered. "I bet you're going to be good for each other."

"Well, I certainly hope so." The Alpha answered.   
That was all great news. Ben had become a close friend on the last few months, and he was so kind and sweet. He was absolutely the kind of person Harry deserved to have close to him.   
But it also wasn't a big surprise for Gil. Or for Uma. In fact, everyone knew it would happen someday, they were just waiting for Harry and Ben to do something about it.

After a quick hug, Gil went running to find his boyfriends.   
They were waiting for him outside, both smiling widely as they saw him approach.

They walked up to the dorm while talking about everything and nothing at all. Just talking about their day and laughing at random stuff.  
As carefree as a group of people can be.

It didn't take long for them to get to the dorm and they were making out as soon as they arrived. After staying apart for some days they could barely contain themselves.  
All they wanted was to be closer and closer to each other.

Gil was not sure how it happened, but after a while, Jay ended up sitting on the bed with each omega siting on one of his thighs.   
He alternated between the two of them, just as he usually did.

Gil had all this desire pent-up from his heat, so he savored Jay's lips on him and adored Jay's hands traveling around his body, making Gil hot all over.    
He was starved for that hot touch he loved so much.

Jay moved one of his hands to his head, and started to tug on his hair slightly. That's not something they had done before, but Gil found the feeling surprisingly enticing, and ended up moaning a little. Which only incentivized Jay to do it a little harder.   
Gil was a little ashamed of how quickly he started to get wet just from all the kissing, but there were more important matters at hand.

Soon Jay just turned his head a little bit to his side and started devouring Carlos' mouth.   
He used both of his hands to grab the boy's ass firmly.  
Fuck, even though it made Gil a little frustrated to not be the one involved in the action, the picture those two made were almost as good as actually being touched.

Jay started leaving hickeys down Carlos' jaw, neck, and collarbone. It was beautiful to see the colors appearing on the omega's milky skin.  
"Off, off." Jay said, and quickly Carlos was getting rid of his own shirt and Jay's as well. Gil took the hint to do the same.

The Alpha decided to suck on the nipples that just got exposed to him, making Carlos let out a long moan.   
Again, Jay was good with his mouth, indeed.  
Carlos took one of Jay's hands and directioned it to touch his ass underneath the clothing.

Jay turned his head again and went back to kissing Gil, only this time he didn't take his hands out of Carlos' body. The kiss was wet and messy and everything Gil needed. He barely noticed he started to rut slightly against Jay's leg.   
What he did notice was how much wetter his underwear got in a matter off minutes. He could feel slick wetting his thighs.

"Gil... "Jay stopped the kiss to talk and the omega whined. "Things are getting pretty heated. Do you have an idea of what you're looking for here?"

Actually, he didn't.   
He was just enjoying making out with his boyfriend for a while, there was nothing else on his mind. He wasn't thinking about the specifics.

He hated feeling like there was some kind of expectation on him, but not knowing what it was exactly.   
"Hey, there's no right answer for this." Carlos assured. "You can say whatever you want."

"I think I wanna do something, but I don't want to get fucked." He said, a little too quickly. The thought of being knotted still scared him.

"Well, I do." Carlos was also quick to add, making Jay giggle a little. "I'm fucking dripping."

"I think I have an idea." The Alpha declared. "Gil, have you ever been rimmed?"

Gil hadn't, he had never been touched sexually by someone he wanted to be touched by before meeting them.   
And, of course, none of the people who did touch him were concerned about his pleasure at all. They just cared about themselves and how they could use Gil to their own benefit.

But the idea of being rimmed did seem appealing.  
"No, but I guess I'd like to try it."

Jay just smiled and went back to kissing him, meanwhile Carlos took the rest of his own clothes off, sitting there completely naked.   
He had a very nice body; thin and lithe, full of freckles all over, round butt and his dick was similar in size to Gil's, only a little bit thinner.

Soon Jay and Gil parted the kiss to take off their clothes as well.  
Gil felt like maybe he should be a little more shy than he was about finally being naked around them, but he wasn't.  
He was comfortable enough in their presence to show this part of himself. He didn't feel like he should be ashamed.

Once Jay was finally completely naked in front of him, Gil gawked at him. _Fuck,_ he was the most handsome Alpha Gil had ever seen in his life, all that caramel skin exposed in all of its glory.   
And his cock was really something else. All Alphas tended to be on the larger side, while omegas were usually smaller, so he wasn't much different, in length, to the other Alphas Gil had seen. So, it was average Alpha size.  
However, he was so _fucking thick._ Gil had never seen someone this thick in his life, and it looked so deliciously heavy too. His mouth watered with how much he wanted to touch it.

"It's glorious, isn't it?" Carlos said, noticing how impressed the other omega seemed.  
Gil could only nod.

Jay snorted at the comment, but quickly came back to bed and attacked Carlos' neck with hickeys again.Gil had noticed that it seemed like Jay was obsessed by the idea of marking Carlos' pale skin.

It was hard not to notice as Jay's hands made their way to touch Carlos' hole, even though he was still working with his mouth.  
The boy lpractically purred when he was finally touched there.

"Fuck, I really wanna touch." Gil pleaded, still not taking his eyes off of Jay's dick.

Carlos took his hand and leaded it to touch the Alpha's cock, making Jay breathe out a little 'fuck' at the touch.  
And fuck indeed, because he was hot and heavy and absolutely breath-taking as Gil started stroking.

The position was a little awkward, with Jay fingering Carlos as Gil tried to masturbate the Alpha, but it was totally worth it.

Jay finally seemed satisfied with his work on Carlos' neck, as he breathed out:  
"Can you ride me while I rim him?" This made Carlos nod frantically.

So Jay lied more comfortably on the bed and waited as Carlos positioned himself to sit on his Alpha's cock.  
He used his hands to position it at first, and then slowly slided down, both of them moaning.   
"Fuck, 'Los..." Jay cried out.

Gil was completely fascinated by the sight. Jay's expression was contorted in pleasure as Carlos sank down, until the Alpha was balls deep in his ass.

They waited for a few seconds to catch their breaths and then Jay turned his head to look a Gil.  
"Come here." He said. "C'mon, sit on my face."

Oh, Evil.   
His hole twitched just from that.

"If I need to stop I'll just tap your thigh, ok?" Jay said and Gil obeyed what had been asked of him.

At first, Jay only licked across his hole. The sensation was different, somewhat interesting, but he didn't know what to make of it.  
Soon Jay started actually inserting his tongue inside him and _that's_ when things started feeling really good.

The Alpha was really invested in practically fucking his ass with his tongue, as he grabbed Gil's thigh for leverage as he started making his movements even more intense.

"Oh, fuck..." He heard Carlos moan.   
Around that time, Gil noticed that Carlos had started moving too, bobbing up and down on Jay's cock.   
His hips moved like he was dancing and his head was thrown back while he had his fun.   
Gil wished he could concentrate on the view for longer, but he couldn't help but close his eyes to appreciate the feeling of Jay going to town on his ass.

The sensation itself was amazing, but it wasn't just that. Knowing that someone cared about him enough not only to make sure that he wanted what was being done to him, but to actually care about his pleasure? The thought made Gil melt.

Jay behaved like he had a delicious meal in front of him. Well, he kind of had one, in a way.   
He alternated between literally thrusting his tongue in and licking across the hole.  
Gil was actually a little worried that he might drown Jay with all the slick he was producing.   
"Evil, that's good..." Gil almost whined.

As much as the omega was loving every second of it, he didn't think it would be enough to make him come.   
But it seemed like Jay was reading his mind, as he started touching Gil's dick and started stroking slowly.   
Gil moaned loudly at the sudden contact.

The stimulation was a lot and Gil could feel himself getting closer and closer at each movement of his boyfriend's hand.   
"J-jay... I'm almost..." He breathed out, not managing to complete the sentence.

But the Alpha got it. So, he started speeding up his hand's movements.   
Gil didn't know whether he wanted to thrust up his hand or press back against his mouth.

It soon became too much for Gil. All those sensations combined with how loved and cared for he felt, he had never felt so good in his life.

So with a strangled moan that might or might not have been a cry of Jay's name, Gil exploded, coming all over his own belly.

Everything was fuzzy for a moment, until Gil managed to be conscious enough of what was happening to get off of Jay.   
When he finally managed to look at the Alpha's face he swore he could have gotten hard again, if he wasn't so spent. Jay had his juices all over his face, and kept eye contact with him as he licked his lips.   
"You're delicious, babe." He told him, winking.   
Gil thinks that if he was actually thinking straight after his orgasm he'd have blushed at that.

There was a sudden change in the atmosphere of the room as Jay directed his attention to Carlos.  
He took both his hands to the boy's hips with a strong grip as he started actually thrusting up wildly.  
"Fuck, that's what I needed..." Carlos said, letting his boyfriend take the lead.

"Yeah? Wanted a little rougher, huh?" Jay asked, getting even more vicious with his fucking.

Carlos just nodded, but his eyes were closed, enjoying the sensation of finally getting exactly what he wanted.

"Babe... I'm really c-close... fuck." Jay said. "You w-want a hand?"

Carlos nodded again, probably getting just as close.  
Gil concluded that Jay's question probably meant that sometimes Carlos came untouched, just from the pleasure of getting fucked. He felt his cheeks heating up, the thought was incredibly hot and he wanted that for himself, in the future of course.

Jay just needed to stroke a few times and Carlos was coming undone, whining loudly as he did so.  
It was a matter of seconds until Jay came too, a guttural and long moan falling from his lips as his knot swelled inside his omega, spilling his seed there.

They just breathed heavily for a while, no one daring to break the comfortable silence.  
That is, until Carlos let out an uncomfortable groan:  
"Can you turn us over? It's the worst to wait for a knot to go down in this position." 

"I can try, but it'll probably tug a little." Jay answered, a little bit groggy from being tired.

It was a little bit awkward watching they try to get into a comfortable position.    
Gil also thought that one of the worst parts of being knotted is having to just wait for it to go down. But that was probably partially due to the fact that he had never been knotted by someone who gave a shit whether or not he was comfortable.   
"So, Gil, what do you think? Do you feel alright?" Jay asked, once he finally found a good position.

"I feel really good." Gil answered, already blushing. "I really liked it."

Jay smiled and blew him a kiss, obviously not being able to move enough to kiss his lips.  
"So, everyone is satisfied, yeah?" Jay asked, directing his question to Carlos.   
"Always, babe." Carlos answered and Jay gave him a sweet peck on the lips. The contrast between the innocent kiss and the fact that Jay was still inside him was quite interesting.

"I think I'm going to shower." Gil announced, suddenly being bothered by how sticky he felt. "You guys want me to get you something?"

"Nah, it's fine. It'll probably go down in like fifteen minutes anyway." Jay answered, not looking too worried.

Gil just nodded, heading butt naked to the bathroom inside their room.  
Just before entered, he turned around a little bit and told his boyfriends:  
"I mean it, guys. I really liked it... thank you for treating me like this."

**Ben**  
It was good to finally be able to call himself Harry's boyfriend.  
He has been trying to lie to himself about his feelings since this whole thing started, so he felt free now that he didn't have to do it anymore.  
Yeah, he was still a little scared that Harry would find him too sentimental for the whole thing. But he managed to put that aside.

After school they both went to the ship to hang out. Uma teased them playfully the whole way until there, but it was good teasing.   
She left them alone once they got to the ship.   
****  
Harry and Ben didn't take long to start making out on the pirate's bedroom. They couldn't help it, couldn't fight against the fire that always consumed them.

Harry kissed with purpose, intent. It was still rough, just how they liked it, but there was something special about kissing now that they were together.   
Ben loved to just let him take over. He had so many responsibilities and important choices that he just adored the idea of just being there and let Harry take charge of making him melt away.

"Fuck, Ben... you're so hot." The Alpha whispered in his ear. "I'm so glad we fixed things up."  
So was Ben, but Harry already knew that.

He started kissing and sucking on Ben's neck, knowing he'd leave a mark and probably loving the idea.

That was when the rational part of Ben's mind started bothering him.   
He knew things were starting to heat up, and he would have to stop them soon, before they lost control.  
But even more than that, Ben knew he owed Harry an explanation on why he kept abruptly stopping touches and kisses he was clearly very much into.

He should have told him sooner, should have done so before things got serious between them. But he had been a coward, so needed to fix that.

"Harry... "He called. "We should stop."

Harry let go of him and sat down on bed with a puzzled look on his face.   
"Why?" He asked. "I mean, of course you don't need to do anything you don't want to... but aren't you enjoying this?"

Ben also sat up, running his hands over his hair in distress.  
Things were about to get really awkward.  
"I am." He said, not meeting Harry's eyes."I'm enjoying it too much."

The Alpha didn't say anything, probably not having any idea where this conversation was headed.  
"Harry..." Ben continued."I have to tell you something I should have told you before."

Well, if Harry left him now he only had himself to blame for his own hurting.  
He could have avoided ending a relationship he already cared about so much if only he had been honest since the first time they kissed.  
He could have avoided getting so stupidly attached. He could have... but he hadn't.

"You're kinda scaring me." Harry said. "Is it something bad?"

Ben snorted.  
"It depends on how you're gonna take the news."  
He took a deep breath, deciding it was now or never. Harry deserved to know.

Closing his eye's not to watch the reaction, he said:  
"I can't have sex with you. I mean, I suppose I could... but I won't." He struggled with the words. "Here in Auradon we are supposed to wait until the mating ceremony, our marriage, to do it. Many people don't, but... I've always liked the idea, you know? Of making it something special for my future mate?"

He wasn't sure if he managed to deliver the message well, to make it clear that it wasn't about Harry, but about himself and his own convictions.

"It's not only about tradition and it's not about you. It's just... something I've always wanted for myself.A vow I made to myself and that I want to keep." He explained. "But I'm sorry for not telling you before and I'll understand if you want to break things off now you know I can't give you that. I promise there won't be any hard feelings."

He feel like he could cry at any minute. He knew that if Harry really dumped him, he would.

He slowly looked over at Harry's face, terrified of what he would find there. But he couldn't read his expression, his face was completely blank.

Ben was getting more nervous as Harry wouldn't just say anything, he just stared for a few long seconds.

"Look, I'm not gonna lie to you." Harry said and Ben's stomach dropped. That was it, then? "I don't know how to do relationships, the only thing I know is the physical aspect."  
Before Ben could actually loose his mind, Harry gently covered his hand with his. It was sweeter than any touch they had exchanged.

"But I really like you, Ben. Sure, I wish you had told me before, but, in the end, it's not gonna change anything." He promised. "I agreed to be your boyfriend today and I'm not one to give up on what I want."

"Really?" Ben, asked, hopeful.  
"Really, yer highness." He assured, leaning over to peck Ben's lips. "I'm not letting you go that easily."

Ben smiled, suddenly feeling a little silly for making a huge deal out of it. If Harry really was worth his time he wouldn't mind having to respect Ben's wishes. That's what someone who cared about him would do.  
So, Harry had just proved he was worth it, indeed.

"Your majesty, remember?" Ben asked, playfully. All tension had left his body already.

"Hush, yer highness."He answered, just as playful."Don't ruin the moment."

They both laughed and ended up going back to make out, Ben's mind completely at ease knowing he had nothing else to hide or be afraid of.

He felt free.

**Uma**  
Uma was really fucking happy for her boys.

Even though she had been really pissed at Jay in the start, she had to admit that Gil was radiant since he started being part of that relationship.  
She couldn't stay mad at him when he proved he was respectful enough not to mind that Gil wanted to spend his heat alone. Uma knew that many Alphas would have tried to manipulate Gil into agreeing to spend the heat with them.   
Carlos was also nothing but lovely. She was afraid that he and Gil would start getting jealous of each other and turn their relationship into a competition, but it was far from the truth.

And then, there was the whole situation with Harry and Ben. She had honestly thought they would end up being idiots for a longer time before finally realizing what they had been missing.  
But she was glad they finally sorted everything out. Ben was the kind of contrast that Harry needed in his life. The sweet to his sour.

Uma was currently adjusting somethings around the ship, as she thought about these stuff.  
Gil was at the dorm with his boyfriends and Harry was inside his bedroom with Ben.

She was distracted with her own thoughts and barely noticed as Gil arrived on the ship.  
"Hey, Uma." He saluted, excitedly. "I'm back."

She squinted at him.  
"You're also glowing." She joked. "Had a good time, huh?"

Gil blushed hard and Uma had to laugh at that.   
"I see you had a _great_ time, actually." She teased again, giving him a playful push on the shoulder.

"Yeah... I kind of did." He admitted, not meeting her eyes at all. "They took good care of me."

"Please, spare me the juicy details." She said, making Gil laugh a little, a happy glint in his eyes. "But really, Gil... I'm glad you're happy to be with them. I'm sorry we freaked out when you first told us."

Gil shrugged, not really caring about that little accident anymore. What was done was done.   
"It's fine, I know what it looked like." He assured. "But you're right about they making me happy. They really do."

Uma smiled, genuinely happy to hear that. That's all she wants for her crew, both her best friends. Her brothers.

"That's good, Gil. You deserve to be happy." She let him know. She knew that sometimes Gil forgot that.

He nodded.  
"Yeah... they make me remember that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What are your thoughts? Please share them with me on the comments, I love your feedback.


	9. Last Friday night, yeah, we danced on table tops

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben has some advice to give Gil, Harry organizes a picnic, Carlos, Jay and Gil get naughty together and a party happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thank you so much for the views, kudos and comments. You guys are always inspiring to work hard on this :) Enjoy!
> 
> WARNINGS: brief mention of a flashback, heavy talks about therapy and recovery, sex (all consensual, but a little bit rougher than last chapter. Nothing too wild though), mention of a sex-related injury and trauma that comes from it, HEAVY MENTIONS OF CHILD ABUSE, underage drinking.

A f e w d a y s l a t e r

** GIL **  
"Hey, Gil!" Ben greeted, cheerfully arriving at their spot to have lunch.

"Hey..." Gil answered, not nearly as happy as his friend.

Just the day before he had had another flashback from when he was being hurt by the old crew.   
He was just watching a movie with his boyfriends when one of the lines set him off.

He hated when that happened, _hated._ It always made him spiral in self-doubt and self-disgust, even when everyone around him made sure to tell him that it wasn't his fault, he had done absolutely nothing wrong.   
He felt completely powerless during his flashbacks and panic attacks or whatever and really ashamed after them. He knew he was in Auradon, he knew he was safe, why the fuck does he panic as if his attackers were right there? It made no sense at all.

"You're alright?" The King asked, noticing how Gil looked upset.

He let out a long breath. It was always a difficult day when he had just had one of his... moments.  
"I guess." He answered. "I just... had a flashback yesterday. It sucked."

He saw Ben's face fall at the news, but it didn't feel like pity, which he was thankful for.   
It felt like genuine compassion.

"I'm so sorry, buddy." He said. "Is there something I can do to help?"  
Ben offered a comforting hand on his shoulders.

Gil was ready to shake his head at the question, really, what was Ben supposed to do? He couldn't make Gil's brain work normally again.   
But then he remembered something Ben had said to him when he first found out what Gil had gone through.

He told him to look for something called therapy, wasn't it? As much as he didn't want to admit he needed it, he also wanted to feel normal again.

"You told me once I should go to therapy, right?" Gil reminded him. "How... how does that work?"

"Well, I've told you before that you talk to someone and they help you to sort out your thoughts." Ben explained. "It's mostly that."

"But why can't I just talk to you? Or Harry and Uma?" Gil asked.  
He saw no reason to open up to a stranger when there were plenty of people in his life who wanted to help him.

Ben shook his head.  
"Yeah, having a support network, like... people who care about you, is super important, but therapy is not like that." He said. "The person you talk to is trained to know people's mind and they have the right techniques to really help you with your problems."

It kind of made sense. He had never heard about this kind of service back on the Isle, but then again, there was so much he didn't know back then.  
It was like a whole different life.

"Do you think it could fix me? Like, really fix me?" Gil asked, earnest.

He didn't think Ben's expression could become even softer at that moment, but it did.  
His tone was also softer as he assured:  
"Therapy won't fix you, because you're not broken, Gil. You're just hurt." He looked at Gil in the eye while he talked. "But I really think it could help you to feel better."

Gil nodded, his friend was pretty convincing with his words.   
Maybe it was a good solution, after all.   
"How do I pay for that? Where can I get it?" He asked.

"Healthcare is public and free here in Auradon, remember? You won't spend a penny." He promised. "And I can call and make an appointment for you, if you want. When are you free?"

"I'm free if I'm not at school or at tourney." Gil shrugged, he wasn't a very busy guy.

"Perfect." Ben smiled. "But you need to know this is not like magic, ok? It doesn't happen out of the blue. It's a process, which takes time."

Gil nodded, since it seemed reasonable.   
He was a little bit sceptic regarding all of this, but he trusted Ben enough to try it. After all, it couldn't hurt to try, right?

"Can you just... not tell anyone about that?" He asked, not really wanting people to know he was weak.

"There's nothing wrong with realizing you need help, Gil." Ben said. "But I won't talk about it, if you don't want me to."

"Thanks, man." He said. "You're a great friend."

They ended up falling into an easier conversation about random stuff, such as television and their respective relationships.  
Oh, they have been talking about that a lot, since they were both lovesick puppies who could go on and on and on about their boyfriends.

Maybe it was the fact that Ben was also omega, but he was one of the people that Gil felt most at ease to talk about most aspects of his relationship. And he guessed Ben felt the same way.   
The king had already told him many things about himself and his relationship as well.

But they also talked about friendships, and school, sometimes about heavier stuff, but mostly just teenage talk.

"You know what would be really nice?" Gil, asked, completely changing the subject. "If we all did something together. You know, me, you, Jay, Carlos, Harry, Uma... and whoever wants to come."

Ben seemed excited at the idea.  
"Like a movie night? We used to have those all the time, but once I became king things got rushed and it's been months since the last one."

That seemed delightful and Gil grinned at the suggestion. Yeah, that was exactly what he was talking about.

Even though Gil still had crises and bad days, this is still the happiest he has ever been in his life and he should enjoy this phase with his friends as much as he could.  
He knew more than anyone how things could be okay one moment and then become terrible out of the blue.  
"Yeah. Think we could have one like... tomorrow? Y'know, since it'll be a friday." He asked.

Ben nodded.  
"Of course. I'll let everyone know." He said."We can even use the movie room in the castle. It's gonna be real cool."

Yeah, Gil really couldn't wait.

**Harry**  
"I can't believe you did this for me!" Ben said, all excited smile and shinning eyes.   
For a king the boy had his standards pretty low. But is that really a surprise for someone who is willingly dating Harry Hook?

After class, Harry had finally taken Ben to the picnic he said he wanted.  
Which meant that he borrowed a picnic towel and gathered all the fruit he could find in the ship into an old bag.  
It wasn't much, it wasn't even pretty.

"I'm sorry it isn't better." He said. "You know I'm not a romantic, yer highness."

"That's exactly why it means so much that you did this." Ben explained, taking a big bite from an apple Harry had brought.

No one could accuse the Alpha of not trying. He knew he wasn't exactly boyfriend material, so he was working hard to make sure he was a decent one.  
It seemed like Ben was pleased and that was all that mattered.

Harry sat beside him and also took a fruit out of the bag, suddenly noticing he was a little hungry.

"So... have your parents found out about us yet?" Harry asked, trying to sound nonchalant about it, but knowing he failed.

Ben looked intrigued, but ended up shaking his head.  
"I'm not sure, but I bet they haven't." He said. "I'll probably know once they find out."  
Harry gulped.   
He wasn't _afraid_ , of their reaction, but the way he had no idea of what could happen did make him a little anxious.  
I mean, what if they told Ben he couldn't see him anymore? What if they wanted to punish Ben for doing this behind their back? What if they wanted to send Harry to jail?  
Yeah, there was no real accusation, but they were the royal family. They could do whatever they wanted.

Ben probably noticed how he looked worried, and soothed him:  
"Hey, it's fine. We'll worry about it once it happens, ok?"  
Harry nodded, the boy was right. No use making a huge deal out of it at that moment.

"So, there was something else I wanted to talk to you about." Ben announced. "How do you feel about having a movie night tomorrow? With everyone?"

Harry raised his eyebrows.  
"Who exactly would be everyone?" He asked.

"Me, your crew, Mal's gang, Jane, Loonie, Audrey... probably Chad." Ben explained.

"Ugh, I hate that guy."

Ben laughed.  
"Hate him? Harry, you barely know him." He tried. But the boy really got in Harry's nerves.   
"Yeah, and I don't want to." He insisted, making Ben roll his eyes at him."And you know Jay and I still have some tension going on."

"C'mon, Harry... You don't even need to talk to them at all. Just be there for a little, please?" He begged.  
And really who could say no to those adorable puppy eyes?  
Certainly not Harry.

"Fine, darling. But you owe me one." He said, not missing the way that the pet name made Ben blush.

They ended up eating all of the fruit and Harry made a mental note not to forget to get more stuff for the ship before Uma killed him for doing this.

They spent a few hours there eating, laughing, and saying sweet nothings to each other.   
It was so calming and soft and not something he ever thought he could enjoy, but he was adoring every second of it.

He adored it even more once Ben started kissing him, sitting on his lap to do so.  
Things always catch fire between those two and Harry can't help to be a little concerned about the fact that he was supposed to celibate.   
But he knew Ben was more important than any of that, so he would just learn how to deal with it.

Which didn't mean things weren't hard to deal with when he had a lap full of gorgeous omega all for himself.

As Harry was a fucking fool, instead of stopping to cool down once he got out of breath, he started kissing the boy's neck, leaving a wet trail behind.   
He loved the thought of making the omega all messy.   
Obviously, his dick started to show interest in the action, getting half-hard at the touch.

He sucked on a specific spot that made Ben let out a small moan and _holy shit_ how could that be so hot?  
"Harry..." Ben let out a little whine. "I'm sorry, but we need to stop."

The Alpha wasn't sure whether his boyfriend just noticed that Harry was becoming hard or he felt horny himself. All he knew was that dating Ben was going to kill him of blue balls.   
But what a way to go, huh?

"Don't apologize, yer highness." He assured. "Just... get out of my lap a little bit, otherwise my dick won't go down."  
Ben blushed hard and almost jumped away from him, completely awkward.

Yeah, Harry needed to remind himself not to use language this crude when talking to Ben.  
He had a sailor's mouth, but he shouldn't forget he's dating royalty, right?

He ended up letting out a little laugh at the boy's desperation.   
"You know... I'm very thankful that you decided to stay. Even after knowing that I won't give you this right now." Ben said, cheeks still tinted pink. "This is brave of you.You know, not running from this."

But Harry shook his head.  
"Bravery is being the leader of big name gang back on the Isle. Bravery is sailing a ship when the sea is a nightmare. Bravery is opening the barrier without knowing how the newcomers were going to behave, just 'cause you wanted to help people." He explained. "This is just... knowing what I want and not letting tiny things stop me from having it."

There was something in Ben's eyes when he stopped talking.  
A kind of adoration that Harry had never seen directed at him before.  
"I think I love you." The omega admitted.

Everything stopped for a while.   
Harry felt like even his lungs stopped working. He wanted to say something, anything.   
But he ended up staring at Ben and gawking like a fish.

The King just smiled.  
"It's fine, I didn't expect you to say it back. We've been dating for a few days only, it's okay." He said. "I just wanted to let you know how I feel."

Harry leaned over and kissed his boyfriend's lips passionately, putting as much feeling as he could into the action.  
He wanted to transmit through that kiss what he couldn't say yet.

**Carlos**  
Gil had said he was going to spend the night at the dorm and all three of them were pretty excited.  
Carlos _loved_ when Gil spent the night. Sure, sometimes when Gil wasn't there Jay and him still did stuff, but things were so much more fun when the three of them were together.

Needless to say, as they were all young man raised somewhere were sex wasn't seen as taboo at all and since Gil has been more and more comfortable doing stuff with them, things were always getting steamy real quickly once they were alone.

Jay had mastered how much attention to give each of them so that no one felt left out perfectly.

They were all already shirtless laying down on the bed with Jay in the middle. He would just turn around to each of them and start making out.   
At the moment, Carlos was the one being kissed.

You may think that have been kissing the same person since you were twelve might have made you get used to the sensation, but Carlos strongly disagreed. Everyday with Jay was a new experience, a new feeling to be discovered.  
But it was still familiar, like coming home.

Jay nibbled on Carlos' ear, making him let out a gasp. Fuck, he really did love that. The Alpha knew how to make Carlos become putty in his hands every time.   
Soon he went back to kissing him and Carlos couldn't help but let his hands wander all over his boyfriend's golden body, burning with passion. 

Soon though, Jay stopped what he was doing to kiss Gil instead. Carlos watched them vividly, as he always did while waiting for his turn.   
He had discovered a rather voyeuristic part of himself since they started dating Gil.

However, Carlos didn't get to enjoy the show much longer, since Gil stopped the kissing to say:  
"Jay... I think I'd like to go further today." He almost whispered. "Still not knotting, but... maybe your fingers?"

To say Jay seemed excited was an understatement. But he decided to check anyway:  
"You're sure about that?"

Gil just nodded.   
"How about this, you finger him first." Carlos suggested. "Then I blow you, then you finger me."  
By the moan Jay let out at his words and the kiss he gave him right after, it was obvious that he agreed with what was said.

He and Jay took each other clothes off as Gil got rid of his own. They were very agile when they had this objective in mind.

Jay turned around to pay attention to Gil as soon as they were all naked. Carlos decided to take a seat and get comfortable to enjoy the show.

"Lay on your back, ok? It'll be easier that way." The Alpha said, soon covering Gil's body with his own and resuming the kissing.

Jay let his hands wander, until they finally got to Gil's ass, where he just circled the hole a little bit.  
"I don't think you're wet enough, babe." Jay said. "Is it okay if I lick you a little first?"

Carlos had noticed Jay's mistake as soon as it left his mouth, but before he could think of something to say Gil answered:  
"I'm not? S-sorry, Jay. It's not that I don't want it, I swe-"He rambled, clearly thinking that Jay wasn't pleased with him.

"Hey, no. I don't mean it like that, ok?" Jay assured. "I just want to make sure you're as comfortable as possible."

"Yeah, it's normal to need a little extra wetness sometimes." Carlos piped in, not wanting him to feel incapable as an omega in any way.

Gil just nodded and Jay went right to business, licking a little bit at his entrance.   
Things got messy after just a few licks and tongue thrusts, but Carlos knew how Jay loved when they made each other messy in bed.

Gil whined disappointedly when Jay stopped his ministrations, making the Alpha grin a little.  
"It was just to get you wetter, not to get you off." He said. "Be patient, okay?"  
Gil just whined again in response.

Jay decided he was probably wet enough now, and let his hands dip between his cheeks, slowly circling the hole with his fingers, just rubbing it from outside at first.   
Gil, probably not knowingly, was slowly spreading his legs wider, giving his boyfriend better access.

He ended up being able to insert a finger slowly, but Gil didn't show much of a reaction to that.   
Carlos knew from experience that only having a finger in didn't bring a lot of sensations.   
When Jay actually started to press the digit further and move it inside the omega, Gil started letting out one or two small moans.

As he inserted the second one, Gil became a little louder.   
Jay was working both fingers gently, but firm. He started to thrust them in a curvy motion, aiming to find the omega's sweet spot.  
It was obvious when he actually got there, since Gil almost howled.   
"Did you like that?" Jay asked, making the same motion again. Gil nodded desperately.

The Alpha had always been a talker and Carlos was a sucker for that. So he started touching himself as he heard Jay and admired his work.

"Yeah, you like that. Fuck... you're so warm there." The Alpha said, starting to sped up his movements just a little. He started to twist him fingers to test the boy's reaction.  
Well, it sounded like he had enjoyed it indeed.

Once Jay tried to put a third finger inside Gil got a little bit tense, clenching against the fingers.  
The Alpha stopped what he was doing to watch him attentively with worried eyes.  
"You okay?" He asked. "It's fine if you don't want to go further."

But Gil shook his head, determination written all over his flushed face.  
"I want it, s-so fucking bad...." He said. "Just go real slow."

Carlos didn't have the clearest view of the scene, but he could feel the tension in Jay's body. He was working agonizing slowly to make sure Gil wasn't being hurt at all.

It took a little while until the omega really got used to the feeling, but soon Jay was circling his fingers inside and pressing up, making him moan brokenly.   
He kissed Gil's mouth again, swallowing his moans while he licked his mouth, but still keeping the rithym with his fingers.

Jay had always been an attentive lover, so he probably noticed that Gil just needed a little bit more to have his release.   
So the Alpha reached out with his other hand to stroke his dick. Gil had his eyes closed, so he was probably surprised by the sudden touch.   
However, judging by the high-pitched sound he made, it was a very pleasing surprise.

Gil threw his head back in pleasure. Being stimulated with two different kind of touches could be a lot to take.

So, it didn't take long before he let out a long, loud moan and released himself all over Jay's hand, breathing heavily.

"Oh, Evil..." He murmured, still out of breath.  
"Was it good? Did you enjoy it?" Jay was quick to ask.

Gil nodded, a large smile growing on his face. As Jay went to get a tissue to clean his come-covered hand, Gil commented:   
"I was a little afraid that I couldn't feel good from... you know.. really..."

"Penetration?" Carlos supplied, helpfully.   
"Yeah, I guess. But I loved being fucked by Jay's fingers." He confessed. "So I'm happy I'm not that broken."

"You wouldn't be broken either way, babe. I swear." Jay said, giving him a gentle kiss on the forehead as he sat on the bed again.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Carlos quickly positioned himself in the middle of his boyfriend's strong legs.   
"Now it's _y_ _our_ turn." The omega said, knowing damn well how wicked his small smile seemed. "Sit back and enjoy... oh, and don't knot my mouth, ok?"

Carlos wasn't the biggest fan of having his mouth knotted at all, he knew his boyfriend knew that and that he would never do it without asking, but he always liked to remind him, just in case.  
It's just so hard to stay there for more than ten minutes with your mouth as wide as humanly possible and, of course, completely unmoving since Alpha knots are awfully sensitive and the slightest brush of teeth is a big  _no-no._

Besides... well, he and Jay had had a terrifying experience with this before. They started to date when they were remarkably young and everyone from the Isle was used to starting very early when it came to every kind of depravity.   
But this didn't mean they were any less stupid than any other teenage boys who were hitting puberty and had no idea what to do with their own bodies. Long short story: younger Carlos swore he could take it when he clearly couldn't, younger Jay wasn't used to his own strength yet, one wrong move and younger Carlos ended up with a dislocated jaw.   
It had hurt like a motherfucker, and the whole situation was hell to deal with, but Jay had felt _so_ fucking guilty about it that it almost hurt more than the dislocation itself. Almost being the key word, of course. 

However, as much as Carlos had his problems with having his mouth knotted, that was literally the _only_ issue he had with giving head.   
As long as Jay came elsewhere, Carlos absolutely loved doing that for him.  
In fact, it was a little bit unfair to say he did it 'for Jay'. No, the truth is that Carlos loved doing this as much as his boyfriend enjoyed it being done to him.

So he started giving kitten licks all over the length, looking over at Jay over his eyelashes.   
The Alpha knew that the bashful look was mostly an act, but the two of them got off on that.

But he decided he wouldn't tease Jay too much, already swallowing him down after only a few licks.   
"Fuck, babe..." Jay said through gritted teeth, already arching his head back from the feeling.

Carlos didn't want to seem smug, but he knew he was good at this, he knew exactly how Jay liked it.   
Again, they got together when they were pretty young, so they had time to learn about each other bodies and memorize their likes and dislikes.

So, he started bobbing his head up and down on his shaft, loving to watch and hear all the confirmations that he was doing a good job.   
"Hmm... 'Los, your mouth, your... fucking mouth." He let out, breathing quickly.   
Jay didn't always make sense, but he did always talk. And his voice was always so much deeper from arousal that Carlos really couldn't complain. It was so damn hot.   
  
Carlos decided to stop what he was doing, and started licking him until he got to his balls, giving them a little bit of attention too.   
He liked the feeling as much as he liked hearing Jay moan.

He went back to swallowing him again, but it was just for a bit.  
Soon, he stopped his movements, but did not take Jay's dick out of his mouth. Indstead he took one of Jay's hands and put it on his hair, incentivating him to grab it.

They both knew what that meant; it was the permission Jay needed to truly fuck his mouth.   
Carlos loved to work for Jay's pleasure, but he loved even more to just stay there and let Jay use him a little. The thought was so wrong and nasty and it made Carlos' hole twitch needily.

Jay wasn't in the mood to be particularly hard with his thrusting that day. Not that Carlos would complain if he was...   
But the Alpha decided that slow, sensual thrusts were enough, and the omega wasn't opposed to that either.

Jay had a tight grip on Carlos' hair while he thrusted.   
The omega admitted he had contemplated the idea of letting his hair grow even more for that sole purpose. Carlos himself didn't care much for the whole hair tugging thing, but Jay? The Alpha was fascinated by it.   
Luckily, Carlos thought, that's once again another benefit of Gil being part of them now. He had longer hair and by some reactions he had shown during making out he liked when Jay pulled his hair a little.

Of course, he probably wasn't ready to have his hair being used as a handler to have his mouth fucked, since he was going slow with trying new things, but they could get there eventually.  
And if they didn't? That's okay too. Their sexual life is already amazing, thank you very much.

Jay had been pretty aroused when fingering Gil a few moments later, so his thrusts started getting shorter and his hands started getting shaky sooner than usual.   
He let go Carlos' hair, but kept moving his hips a little as he asked:  
"Can I... damn... can I come on your face?"

Carlos moaned around Jay's dick at the question. Wicked thing number #315 that both him and Jay absolutely adored in bed.   
So, he took Jay out of his mouth and started stroking him with both of his hands, right in front of his own face.

"Evil... t-that's right, babe... " The Alpha whispered through slightly parted lips.   
Even though the vision of Jay falling apart was absolutely mesmerizing and made Carlos hot all over, he had to close his eyes to wait.   
And open his mouth, of course.

When Jay came, it was with a howl. A strong, loud and deep sound from the back of his throat.   
There was cum on Carlos' cheeks, his chin, his lips, his tongue, his eyebrows. Even a some on his hair.   
He always wondered if biologically Alphas had the tendency to come a lot, or if it was just a Jay thing. Anyway, he adored it.

He liked feeling marked, he liked feeling like he was Jay's. Maybe it should make him feel objectified, but it didn't. It did make him feel owned, but in a good way.   
Like there was always going to be someone caring and protecting him. He _knew_ it was mostly his omega instincts talking, but he couldn't help it.

The Alpha struggled to keep his eyes open, wanting to admire his own work. He was breathing hard, looking at Carlos come-covered face like he was hypnotized.

All Carlos did was wipe whatever was too close to his eyes off, but let the rest there.  
"Oh my... fuck, guys, that's the hottest thing I've ever seen in my life." Gil exclaimed, shocked as he watched them.   
The boy had probably been too tired after his orgasm to participate more, but the scene encouraged him to talk.

"Yeah..." Jay said, still not breathing quite normally. "Fuck, Carlos I wish I could keep you like this all the damn time. You look so fucking hot like that..."

Carlos rolled his eyes. Yeah, sometimes Jay got a little too excited with the visual.

"C'mon." He said, already lying down again, wanting to finally find his release. He always got super horny after blowing Jay. "I'm already close."

The Alpha didn't need to be told twice. He knew Carlos wasn't in the mood for teasing, so he already started with two fingers.  
"So wet..."He mumbled.   
He pressed up, knowing that body well enough to find Carlos' spot quickly.

The omega just arched his head back with pleasure. Yeah, Jay always knew what he needed and it felt so damn good to finally get it.   
His movements were quick, even though he was probably tired from his own orgasm, Jay was never too tired to pleasure his boyfriend.

The Alpha started licking and sucking on his neck, clearly aiming to leave hickeys. Carlos wasn't sure if this was because he was pretty pale, which also meant he was easy to mark, or if Jay was just territorial and wanted to mark him all over for that reason.   
But he had the tendency to believe it was the second option.

Carlos whined once Jay began inserting a third finger. It didn't hurt at all, but there was always this tiny burn once they got to that part. He learned to even like it overtime.  
It didn't take his hole long to get used to it though.

And there was Jay touching his sweet spot again, making Carlos let out tiny little moans with each swirl of his fingers inside him.   
"Come on, 'Los." He got closer to his ear just to whisper this. "Come for me, babe. Come for your Alpha."

And well, he was talking to a Carlos who had touched himself as he watched Jay finger Gil, then had had his mouth fucked and now was getting his g-spot played with. Could you blame him for coming untouched as soon as these words left the Alpha's lips?

Now not only was his face a mess, but his belly was one as well.  
He needed a lot of time to catch his breath after the strong climax he just reached.

He laid there completely useless, as Jay got up and reached for a tissue to clean his face a little.  
He loved when he was too boneless after a fuck and Jay had to take care of him.  
"I think some of it is already a little bit dry." Jay frowned, trying to get the come off without pressing enough to hurt.

"We all need a shower." Gil said, clearly being the most well recovered off the three.

Carlos protested, not really feeling like he could function already.  
"Hm... I'm too tired for that."He said, eyes closed. He felt ready to go to sleep already.

Jay just rolled his eyes at his sleepy boyfriend.  
"I start the water and you carry him?" Gil suggested, already getting up to do just that.  
Jay nodded, before pecking Gil sweetly on the lips.

And well, being carried bridal style by his strong Alpha to have a playful shower with his amazing boyfriends after having a mind-blowing orgasm?   
There was nothing more Carlos could ask from this life.

Thenextevening  
**JAY**   
Everyone was already there when he and his boyfriends showed up. The movie had just started, apparently.

Mal, Evie and Uma occupied the sofa. Of course, there being a considerable space between the pirate and the other two.   
Ben and Harry were snuggled up on top of a few cushions.   
Loonie was laying on the ground, looking like she wasn't really interested in the movie.

There were two fancy looking chairs close to the cushions where Audrey and Jane were sitting.   
Chad was on the arm of the couch, trying to steal popcorn from Evie, which was so not a good idea.

"Hey!" Ben exclaimed, happily."We saved the loveseat for you guys."

Not wanting to disturb everyone who was watching they whispered their thanks and greetings as they tried to quietly make their way towards their seats.

The movie was some comedy from Auradon that Jay couldn't care less about.  
It was kinda funny occasionally, but there was a lot of Auradon's humor that the VKs didn't fully understand. Or like.

But he was sitting in between his two lovely boyfriends, one arm around each of them, surrounded by his best friends, well and some douches, but he was fine with being there.   
Jay was also pretty sure that he could hear someone snoring softly, but it was not like he could blame them.

He could barely follow the plot of the movie anymore, since he zoned out here and there.   
Finally, someone decided to put him out of his misery.

Mal got up from the couch and took the television control, that was on the ground.   
She stood there with a rather impatient face and asked:  
"Anyone else is dying of boredom here?"  
Jay and some four or five other people raised their hands. Well, he was glad he wasn't the only one.

"Then let's get this party started." She said, excitedly. "It's friday, after all."

"I didn't know that a movie night was code for a small party." Uma said. "But I like the idea."

"If Uma and Mal agree about something, then it must be a  _great_ idea." Evie said, giggling a bit.

"No, a movie night is not code for a party!" Ben exclaimed, looking rather distraught.

"Awn, Benny Boo, let loose a little." Audrey said, making Ben roll his eyes since he hated the nickname.   
Well, if Uma, Mal _and_ Audrey all agreed to the same thing, then it was a fan-fucking-tastic idea.

"C'mon, guys, no one is asking the import question here." Jay asked. "If this a party, who brought the alcohol?"

"Well, I did." Mal said, taking a bag that apparently she had left beside the couch and showing three different bottles inside.

"I did too." Harry announced.  
The king looked scandalized.

"Harry!" Ben complained, wide-eyed and clearly not knowing about his boyfriend's plan.  
Harry just shrugged.

"It was supposed to be just for me. I had to get through this night somehow." He explained. "C'mon, darling, I'm a pirate. What did you expect?"

Ben rolled his eyes, but ended up giving in.   
"Fine, fine... I guess if it's what everybody wants. "He got up as he spoke."Let me just get us a stereo or something. It's not a party without music."

Suddenly remembering something, Jay took the opportunity to direct his attention to Gil.   
"Hey, are you okay with us staying here?" He whispered so only Gil could hear. "You know, with all the drinking and stuff?"

He remembered that Gil had mentioned after a heavy flashback that the old crew always smelled of alcohol and that, sometimes, when he panicked real hard he could still smell their awful breath. He also said that sometimes they would force him to drink with them.   
So Jay assumed that Gil wouldn't do well with drinking after such a traumatic experience.

Sure, Jay wanted to have fun with his friends, but not if this made Gil uncomfortable in any way.   
But the omega just smiled sweetly at him.   
"It's fine. I don't drink... I just can't, panicked and threw up every time I tried. But I don't mind when other people do it." He explained, also in a hushed tone. "Really, Uma and Harry drink all the time and it was never a problem."

"So... you won't be like, sad or scared if I drink?" He insisted.

Gil shook his head.  
"If you're not a mean drunk, it's fine." He said. "I just won't, like do anything... _y'know... _when you're still smelling of booze."   
It was all pretty reasonable, so Jay just nodded and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Soon Ben came back with some fancy Auradon stereo so they could finally blast some music.  
"I'll regulate how loud the music gets, you hear me?" Ben made it clear, probably worrying about waking up his parents, even though the propriety was big enough that they could literally explode a bomb there without the sound reaching his parents' quarters.

The sound was kind of too low for a party, but it was enjoyable.   
"Guys, why don't we play a game?" Jane suggested, as excited and sweet as always.

"A drink game!" Carlos piped in.

"What about never have I ever?" Chad asked.   
Really?

"Isn't that for kids who are like 12?" Uma asked, not sounding really pumped about it.

"Who plays drink games when they are 12?" Jane asked, looking quite shocked by the idea.

Jay had to laugh out loud at that. Fuck, he keeps forgetting how people from Auradon are _so_ innocent on stuff like this.   
He was pretty sure he was seven the first time he had a drink.

"C'mon, guys, let's just play." Evie insisted, not caring about the age of usual players of that kind of game.

"How about we spice things up?" Audrey asked with a sickingly sweet tone. "Whoever drinks, has to tell us the story of when they did that."

Jay didn't really care, he didn't had that many things to hide in a game like this.  
"Ok, let's fill the cups and then seat in a circle" Loonie organized.

"I've never drank before..." Jane let out, a little bit ashamed.

"Hey, c'mon. Everyone is doing it, don't chicken out. "Audrey said.

"You don't need to do anything you don't want to, Jane." Ben said, giving Audrey a very pointed look. The princess just looked the other way and pretended he wasn't talking to her.

"Thanks, Ben... but I think I do want to try." She said, taking one cup shyly.

"I don't drink." Gil said, his voice firm and determined. "I'll just fill my cup with soda or something."

Again, Audrey intervened.  
"C'mon, what's it with you? Aren't people from the Isle supposed to be less moralist than that?" She asked.

"That's none of your business. He said he won't drink, so he won't drink." Jay piped in, through gritted teeth and it was taking all of his self-control not to use his Alpha voice on her.   
Even though he didn't use it, the anger in his tone was enough to make the girl gulp and shut up.

Trying to relieve the tension, Evie said:  
"The last one to still have something on their cup wins, right?"

"Yeah, but no small sips. And no lying." Ben added.

They all sat down to begin the playing. Jay was excited, even if the game wasn't all that fun, it had been a while since the last time he drank.

"Ok, I'll start." Ben said. "Never have I ever gotten so drunk I passed out."  
Well, it could be considered a spicy question for someone like him.

Harry, Evie and Gil drank.   
It was weird how the situation was absolutely different for each of them.   
Everyone knew Harry liked to drink, so it wasn't a surprise that he had passed out because of it.  
Evie wasn't big on drinking, which made her a lightweight. Jay remember which night she was talking about, thankfully it was just the four of them.   
And Gil... well, Jay is pretty he has an idea of how it happened with Gil.

"Go on, guys, spill the story." Chad urged.

"Nothing to say, mate. I had an off day when I still worked for my dad, was pissed off about something I can't remember, and drank until I couldn't stand." Harry offered.

"Which is _a lot._ " Uma said.

"I don't take much to get wasted. We had a place just for us to hang out, me, Mal, Jay and Carlos. Once Jay stole us some alcohol, I had had a bad day and passed out on the floor." Evie told, blushing slightly at revealing the reckless behaviour.

"What about you?" Chad asked, making all eyes turn to Gil.

"I guess drinking comes with being a pirate." He shrugged, concealing very well how he really felt.  
But Jay knew the truth, so he started gently playing with his hair, just to let Gil know he was there and that Gil was safe.

"Never have I ever kissed someone with the same classification as me." Chad said.   
Obviously Gil and Carlos drank, Harry, Uma, Mal, Evie and even Loonie did too.

Everyone knew about Gil and Carlos, Mal and Uma seemed the type to experiment all life could offer, most people just assumed Harry would be the person to make out with anything that moved and it wasn't unusual for a beta, like Evie, to be with another beta, so all eyes fell to Loonie.

"You've kissed another Alpha?" Jane asked, blue eyes all wide.   
Loonie didn't seem to think it was a big deal. And, really, it wasn't.

"Yeah, once I made out with an Alpha boy at a party." She said. "It was nice enough."

"Never have I ever failed a test." Jane said, and it suited her a lot.

Many people drank, but really what kind of question was that?  
"You guys don't know how to play." Uma complained. "Say interesting stuff. Like... never have I ever called someone the wrong name while hooking up."

Both Jay and Harry drank.

"That sounds like a delightful story..." Loonie chuckled.

"Well, in my defense... before I started dating Carlos, I was kinda afraid that telling him how I felt would ruin things." He confessed, blushing a little. "And then I would hook up with other people while thinking about him and once it just... slipped."

"Aw, babe, I never knew that." Carlos said, kissing him in the cheek.  
Jay turned to him and pecked his lips sweetly.

"Wait... I thought you guys had been dating for years...."Chad said. There was nothing wrong with his words, but he looked like he thought there was something very wrong there.

"Yeah... three years and some months. I was twelve and he had just turned fourteen." Carlos explained, clearly not really getting the point of the question either. "You guys know I'm one year and a half younger, right?"

"Wait... so you were already... doing these things with people before you were fourteen?" Jane asked, looking completely scandalised.

Oh, right.  
_That's_ what it was all about.   
People from Auradon weren't used to how things worked on the Isle.

"Everyone starts early on the Isle." Mal defended. "It's just... you're exposed to it all the time, you see and hear people doing it in alleys and such. And everyone gloats about their sex life all the time, so... you just do it."  
Most AKs looked rather shocked.

"Yeah, we're not obsessed with the idea of purity like you." Uma said, clearly defensive about them being so weirded out.

"I don't know if this is awesome or utterly disgusting." Chad said, looking genuinely puzzled.  
Jay just rolled his eyes at him.

"Well, keep your thoughts to yourself. We're not here to judge." Loonie said before someone got offended.

"Yeah, she's right, guys." Ben said. "So, who is next?

"Never have I ever lived outside of Auradon." Audrey said, clearly aiming for a win and not for listening to embarrassing stories.

Everyone from the Isle drank.  
"Hey, don't target people." Mal said, after angrily taking a sip.

Audrey played with her hair innocently.  
"Awn, Mally, do you want to win?" Her voice was sweet, but her tone wasn't. "Then you better have a game strategy. I sure do."

"Yeah? Well, never have I ever turned people to stone." Mal replied, giving her a fake smile.  
Audrey rolled her eyes, but took a sip.

Well, she had this one coming.   
"Ok, guys, chill." Carlos said."Never have I ever... had long hair."

"How could you betray me like that?" Jay asked, playfully, giving an exaggerated gasp before drinking.   
Carlos laughed loudly.  
Evil, the sound was beautiful.

"So, we're all targeting each other now?" Gil asked, after drinking his soda.

"Hey, you're all stealing my strategy!" Audrey exclaimed, but she didn't seem to care all that much. She was just a dramatic person by nature.

"Never have I ever been a pirate." Evie said, already laughing at her own targets.

And things went on like this for while. It was actually pretty fun, well, a little less fun when you were the target, but still.   
Everyone was laughing and actually getting along for once, which was a _miracle_ for a group formed by people who were so different.

Things really specific like "Never have I ever had blue as my signature color" or "Never have I ever been part of the royal family" were said and everyone would laugh at how betrayed the person would look like.  
Jay admitted it was a little silly, but they were all having fun, so what's the problem? Now, there in Auradon, they could finally just... be teenagers, reckless and silly, do random things without the worries they used to have.

It was all fun and games, Jay himself being target with "Never have I ever been half genie" and "Never have I ever dated two omegas at once", until it was Audrey's turn again and she said something rather controverse:  
"Never have I ever spent longer than six months without seeing my parents."   
She had a sweet smile on, pretending she didn't target all VK's at once. Again.  
Doesn't she know that making them talk about their parents is _always_ a bad choice?

"Audrey... that wasn't cool." Ben sighed. He was a nice guy and always made sure that people from the Isle were comfortable in Auradon.

"Well, I haven't."Uma said."My mother may have decided to stay on the Isle, but I still go visit her."

"Is that allowed?" Chad asked stupidly. Just like everything else he did. 

"The barrier doesn't exist anymore, you dick." Harry said. "Everyone can come and go as they wish."

"Can we just agree not to mention our parents again?" Carlos insisted. "It is hard to deal with Cruella. I don't want to think about her when I'm supposed to have fun."

"Don't you mean it _was_ hard do deal with Cruella?" Audrey asked, suddenly forgetting the game. "Or do you still see her?"

"You don't have to say anything, babe." Jay whispered to Carlos.  
Nobody was entitled to their life story just because they got curious.  
But the boy just shook his head.

"It's fine. She... she is in a hospital, in the psych ward. She did something as soon as she got here, not really sure what, and got sent there." He revealed. "I call the hospital sometimes and, if they say she is having a good day, I go visit her."

That conversation turned deep so quickly.   
"Why would you do that? You just said she was hard to deal with." Chad asked."Don't you want to get rid of her?"  
Why couldn't this guy just keep his mouth shut?

Carlos looked a little taken back, clearly not expecting such a question.  
Before Jay could say some things that the prince wouldn't like hearing, Ben intervened:  
"Chad, not everything is black or white." He said. "This is not our business."

"But you all see your family now, then?" Jane asked. "That's cool. You know, that you reunite with them."

"More or less. I mean, I've been seeing my dad a lot. He's actually pretty cool and he wants to make up for the lost time." Mal said. "My mother is more... complicated. I saw her twice since moving here."

"I agreed to see my mother once every two weeks as long as she goes to therapy to deal with her obsession with beauty." Evie said. "That was what fucked me up the most, how I always had to look perfect. But... I still love my mother."

Jay knew how that felt. I mean, not _exactly_ , but close enough.  
As far as he was concerned, Evil Queen was never physically abusive. That would leave bruises and she wanted Evie to have perfect skin.

Jafar didn't particularly care about how Jay looked like, so he had no qualms about whipping him bloody as a punishment when he thought his son had done something wrong.   
Which usually meant not stealing enough.  
It was a nightmare, every time. He had to kneel on the shop's floor, take off his shirt and wait until his father decided that there was enough blood dripping from his back.   
Things were worse when he was younger, right after he presented, and was also weak enough to cry, which only made Jafar angrier. He would yell something about how Alphas shouldn't cry and whip even harder.

He still had scars all over his back because of it and he hated them. He was pretty sure that Carlos must have warned Gil about it, because the omega didn't seem surprised the first time he had seen them.  
Jay was just thankful he didn't need to explain.

He had decided he didn't want to see his father anymore once the barrier was broken.  
But, deep down, he was afraid that someday he would give in and look for his old man. He may have given him hell sometimes, but he was a... an almost decent parent other times, like when Jay was younger and the man would sit with him and show him beautiful photos of Agrabah.   
And, even though it was absurdly rare, sometimes Jay even missed him.

"I haven't seen my dad since we left." He said, simply. He didn't owe those people an explanation.

"Well, my dad is dead." Harry said. "So thankfully I don't have to see that fucker anymore."  
That installed a heavy silence in the room.   
_That's_ exactly what you get when you ask too many questions to a VK. Answers you couldn't handle, things you didn't want to hear.

Jay wasn't surprised. Nobody knew exactly what had happened to the captain, but most people assumed he had died fighting the new crew who took over his ship.   
Some people thought he had run and was still hiding, since no one found the body. But it was a pirate fight, so it was possible that his body had just been thrown into the water.

Most of the other VKs also didn't look surprised. Everyone knew Hook had disappeared.   
Ben, as much he looked uncomfortable and worried, also wasn't surprised. But the other kids from Auradon? They were shocked.   
Audrey and Chad even seemed to be a little ashamed, as they should, for being nosy pieces of shit and leading them to this moment.

Abruptly Gil got up, breaking the silence with a quick "Excuse me" and leaving the room.   
Jay, Carlos, Harry, Uma and even Ben all got up with matching worried looks on their faces, all planning on going after the omega.

"We can't all go." Uma said, wisely. "We'll just crowd him."

"What happened? Is he okay?" Jane asked, not understanding what was going on.

"I'll go." Harry said, completely ignoring the girl. "And... I think Jay should come too."  
Well, that was a surprise. He raised his eyebrows, but said nothing as he followed Harry outside.

Thankfully, it wasn't hard to find Gil. He wasn't running or trying to hide, he probably just needed some air.   
"You ok?" Jay asked, trying to perceive if Gil was on the verge of a panic attack or a flashback, but that didn't seem to be the case.

The boy nodded. He seemed to be thinking hard, maybe a little sad, but definitely not panicking.  
"Was that because I mentioned my father?" Harry asked, bitting his lip."I know I shouldn't have do-"

"No, Harry." Gil assured. "He's your dad. You should talk about him if you want to."  
"Then what happened?" Jay insisted.

The omega sighed, eyes getting slightly watery.  
"I just... everyone knows where their parents are. Everyone has reunited or at least thought about it." He said. "I don't even know where my dad is. I didn't even think about looking for him until tonight. Does it... does it make me a bad person? That I didn't think about him until now?"

"Babe, of course not." Jay said, gently caressing his face. "You had a lot going on."

"Gil, you're talking to a guy who killed his own father. Of course I don't think not thinking about yours makes you a bad person." Harry said.

Ok, that _did_ surprise Jay.  
He suddenly felt like an asshole for the day he compared Harry to his father.   
He tried not to let it show how shocked he really was with the new piece of information.

"Besides... he kicked you out, Gil. You don't owe him anything." Harry reminded him.   
Gil's face fell even more.

"Yeah, he probably doesn't even want to see me. He said I wasn't his son last time I was with him." He said, voice small and sad. "He kicked me out for a reason. It's silly to think about seeing him again, right?"

"That's not what I meant. You were always a good son, he's the one who left you alone." Harry said, then added hesitantly: "But if you want to look for him, we can help you."

Jay could see why he hesitated. He also didn't like the idea of sending Gil back to someone who abandoned him, left him to his own devices.  
Yeah, people can change, but there was a difference between stealing something and sending your son away over something he could not control.   
Plus, Gaston knew what happened to omegas on the streets. He might as well have handed him over to the pirates.

But, in the end, it was Gil's choice if he wanted to find him. Jay also didn't like the fact that Carlos visited Cruella, but it wasn't up to him.   
Deciding not to see his father again was one of the hardest decisions Jay ever made and he couldn't expect other people to want the same thing.

"It's ok not to want to see him, but it's also ok if you want to." Jay said. "You don't need to decide right now."

"I thought I was over it. For a long time I _was_ over it." Gil said. "But everyone was talking about their parents and just got..."

"Overwhelmed?" Jay supplied and the omega nodded.

"Do you want to go home?" Harry asked. "You don't need to stay if you don't want to."

But Gil shook his head.   
"No. I was having fun. I won't let him ruin this for me." He insisted. "I'll just ask if we can do something else. I think we're all done with questions."  
Jay smiled and gave his boyfriend a sweet kiss. It was good to see this wasn't enough to bring the boy down.   
"That's the spirit, babe. " He said.

"I'm sorry for making a big deal out of this." Gil said, and before Jay could reassure him that it was ok, he turned around and went back to the party.

Jay turned to follow him and go back as well, but he felt a hand on his shoulder trying to get him to stop walking. There was Harry with a serious look on his face.  
"You're a good guy." He said. "He's happy with you."

Ok, who was that and what has he done to Harry Hook?   
Again, something he didn't expect from today.

"I... I shouldn't have lost my mind when you started dating him."He kept going.

Jay just needed to have a little fun with that.  
"So, you're saying you're sorry?" He asked, a playful glint in his eyes.  
Harry clearly wasn't as amused. He sighed, before replying.  
"That's exactly what I'm saying." He answered, and the words seemed to pain him.

Jay decided it was enough teasing and used a more serious tone.  
"I'm also sorry. For comparing you to your father, for mentioning him like that." He apologized. "You didn't deserve to hear that. You're nothing like him."  
Harry let out a small smile, a normal one for once and not one that made him look slightly crazy.

Jay patted Harry's shoulder rather awkwardly as a gesture of good will and went back to the party.   
His eyes immediatly scanned the room for Gil and he felt sudden anger bubbling up inside his chest as he realized Audrey and Chad were the ones talking to him.  
Fuck, didn't they see they had done enough already with their damned big mouths?

He was about to go over there and ask them to leave him the hell alone when he heard Carlos' lovely voice:  
"Chill, babe.He's fine." He said. "I overheard some of it. They're just apologizing to him."

That made all the tension leave Jay's body. Well, maybe he should have given the duo a bit more credit.  
At least now they know not to be so nosy.

He wrapped his arms around Carlos and kissed the top of his head sweetly.  
"What about you?" The Alpha asked. "They asked you many personal stuff."

"I'm good." He answered. "I wouldn't have said anything that would make me feel bad, I swear."  
Yeah, it made sense. Carlos had always been smart about the information he shared.

Deep down, Jay knew no one aimed to hurt them, but some people just couldn't understand how deep some small reminders could cut.

"Hey, guys, everyone is so down. Let's blast some music, dance a little. Otherwise I'll die of boredom here." Mal said, trying to bring the mood up. "Sorry, Ben, but we need to turn the volume up a little."

And everything was alright again. Gil joined the two of them, already looking slightly happier than he looked outside.  
Evie picked a really good playlist to make things cheerful again and everyone went back to having fun.

Jay was almost convinced that the night was over once Gil got sad outside, but it was good to see that his boyfriend was having enough fun to stop thinking about his issues for a while.  
And it wasn't even a 'I'll drink until I forget everything' type of distracting his mind, since Gil didn't drink. It was just genuinely having such a good time that it makes you leave your worries aside for a few hours.  
Honestly, they all deserved it.

Somewhere along the way someone managed to steal some fancy ass drinks from the royal kitchen and, boy, did it taste amazing. Honestly, Jay had never drank something that good.   
He hoped Ben wouldn't get in too much trouble for it.

Jay, Carlos and Gil ended up dancing together for most of the night.   
Carlos _loved_ dancing and would always bask in the opportunity to do so, no matter the kind of music and he was incredible at it.  
And Jay found out that dancing with two partners was harder, but it was also so much fun.   
He just felt so happy, so light. He wasn't sure if it was the drinking that put things in perspective, but he didn't think so. Since both his boyfriends looked just as happy and carefree as he felt.

Mal and Evie were also happily dancing together. Most of the Auradon kids were dancing alone, except for Ben who was making out with Harry on the loveseat.   
The two looked pretty into it, and Jay is almost certain they were already a little wasted. The King probably wouldn't be practically grinding against his boyfriend in public if he was in his right mind.   
But it was fine, 'parties' on the Isle went so out of control sometimes that this one looked like children's play. Not that this wasn't enough for them to have fun.

At some point Evie even put a slow, romantic song and Jay alternated between both his boyfriends in the slow dancing. Carlos was way more technical, finding joy in the fluid movements of dancing, and _evil_ was he a vision doing it.   
Gil, on the other hand, was just playful. He just wanted to giggle and have fun, not caring if he ended up stepping on Jay's feet once or twice. Jay didn't mind either.

Eventually, after a really agitated song came on, everyone started dancing in one big group, dancing alone but also together, somehow.  
At that moment there were no differences, no Isle and no Auradon, no question uncalled for, no different upbrings. There was just a group of friends having fun together and celebrating their differences. Uma danced with Jane, Audrey danced with Jay, Chad danced with Gil... it was one hell of a crazy mix.

Everything that went wrong some hours ago was forgotten and everyone was getting along again. Exactly the way things were supposed to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So? What are your thoughts? A new sub-plot is starting to rise in this chapter. ;)  
> Please, please, consider leaving a review to make this author happy. I love to know what you guys think.


	10. I'll find a way to fix these broken pieces and let go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone feels the effects of the party, Gil has some important things to do and Ben's parents find out about him and Harry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thank you so much for your feedback. I'm forever grateful for every single comment. Enjoy! ♡  
> WARNINGS: character's low self-esteem, family issues, mentions of trauma and trauma recovery. Also, everyone is hangover.

**BEN**  
The first thing Ben noticed when he woke up was that he had the _worst_ headache ever.  
The second thing he noticed was that he was on top of his sleeping boyfriend. Weird, he didn't remember inviting Harry to his quarters or going to spend the night on the ship.  
The third thing he noticed was that he was at neither place.

Oh, right.  
The party.  
Ben groaned, already seating up. That made Harry stir and slowly open his eyes. As soon as he did, he gave Ben one of his best crazy smiles.  
"Good morning, yer highness." Harry said. "I have to say you're the biggest lightweight I've ever met."

He was a little dizzy and his stomach was also unhappy with his decisions the night before.  
"My head is killing me." The king said. "I really need an aspirin."  
Harry sat up, gently running his fingers in circles on his boyfriend's back.

"That's the pill that doesn't let your head ache, right?" Harry asked and Ben nodded.  
Was it too early to feel guilt over the fact that the Isle didn't have such basic medications?

He looked around and noticed how everything was an absolute mess.  
"Goodness, my parents are so going to kill me." He complained. "How could I be this reckless? I've never done something like that in my life."

Harry rolled his eyes, playfully.  
"Chill, darling. You had only like two cups and a half and could barely stand up." He said. "That wasn't reckless, you're just not used to drinking."

"But I'm the king I can't do stuff like that." He insisted. "How aren't _you_ hangover? I'm pretty sure you drank at least three times more than I did."

Harry just laughed.  
"Probably more than that, actually." He said. "But I can handle my alcohol well, darling. You clearly can't."

"Ugh, did I do something embarrassing?" He asked, not really remembering anything like that.   
"I don't think so. We made out a little, danced a little, then made out a lot." The Alpha answered.

Ben groaned. His friends were _so_ going to make fun of him for spending the whole party with his mouth attached to Harry.

Then Harry expression became a little more serious, making Ben frown. Oh God, did he just remember something embarrassing?

"Look, I just wanna make it clear that's _all_ we did. I only slept here 'cause you literally fell asleep on top of me and I didn't want to leave you alone like that." He said, looking really worried."I would never do anything that-"

"I know." Ben interrupted. "I wasn't worried about that, Harry. I trust you."  
There was something on the Alpha's eyes after that. Some kind of adoration, like he could barely believe that Ben was even real, let alone real and _his._

"Thank you, darling. I appreciate that." Harry said, already getting up from the small couch. "Now, c'mon. We should get out of here before your parents notice you're not in your bedroom."

Ben found that getting up was a _really_ bad idea, since he felt he whole room spinning around him as soon as he moved and had to run to the bathroom so he could throw up.  
Thankfully, he did make it on time to heave over the toilet to discard everything he had eaten or drank the night before.

It seemed like his stomach was spasming and, with that, trying to kill him.  
He would never drink again...  
God, what had he been thinking?

"Oh, darling." He heard Harry behind him. "You really can't handle drinking, can you?"  
Ben wanted to reply, but he wasn't done yet. The previous night was surely made of bad decisions for him.

Once he thought it was over, he just sat there on the floor, reavaliating all of his life choices.  
"Have you ever drank before today?" The Alpha asked, slightly sceptic.

"Just once." He confessed. "I mixed my cup with someone else's during a royal ball."

"My, my, you're really a good boy, aren't you?" Harry said, making Ben blush.  
The Alpha didn't miss his reaction, showing him a slightly predatory smile in return, but decided not to comment.

"Ugh, I need to get up and clean everything up." Ben complained.

"Aren't you like, rich as fuck? Don't you have maids for that?" His boyfriend asked.

"Yeah, but I don't wanna risk anyone telling my parents." He said. "They'll seriously kill me."

Harry snorted.  
"No, they'd probably just take your 3D printer away for a week or something like that." He told Ben. "Your parents love you and you're the king. Nothing is going to happen to you."

Suddenly Ben felt like a douche for using such a hyperbole when talking to someone who really did have a violent parent.  
Why was he always saying the wrong thing?

"Hey, don't over think what I said, yer highness." Harry pleaded. "C'mon, get up really slow for me, then wash your mouth. Then I'll help you clean everything up."

Ben smiled.  
Even if he felt he like he was dying, it was sweet to know that Harry cared about him so much that he would waste a saturday morning helping to take care of him.

**UMA**  
She woke up and went immediately to the kitchen. Drinking made her really hungry for some reason.  
Thankfully, Gil was already cooking once she got there.  
"Morning, Gil." She greeted. "Making breakfast for us?"

"Good morning." He said, sounding really cheerful. "It's just eggs and toast, but I'm almost done."  
She nodded, willing to wait a little while.  
"Are you feeling hungover?" He asked her.

"Not really. I mean, a small headache, but nothing really bad." She answered. "What about Harry?"

"He slept at the castle, I think." Gil answered, just finishing the food as he talked. "But I don't think he drank enough to be really fucked up."  
Uma laughed a bit.  
He was right, it took a lot for Harry to be wasted.

"Who would have thought that Ben would throw a killer party like that?" Uma wondered, quickly filling her plate.

"You know he didn't really throw a party, right?" Gil said. "People just took alcohol to a movie night."  
Uma shrugged. A party was a party.

She suddenly remembered something really important.  
"Hey, what made you upset yesterday?" She asked. "You know, when they started making dumb questions about our parents."

Gil sighed, like he had also just remembered that.  
"Do you think my dad would want to see me again?" He asked back.  
Ok... Uma wasn't waiting for that.

It was no secret that she didn't like Gaston. She almost never talked to him back on the Isle, but anyone who abandoned an omega there _knew_ what they would have to face.  
His hands were as dirty as Hook's regarding what had happened to Gil.

But she knew just from looking at Gil at that moment that he didn't think like that. He was the purest soul Uma had ever met in her life, so he always expected the best of people.  
Even when they disappointed him.

"I don't know, Gilly. I mean, maybe things changed for him when the barrier was opened." She said, being careful not to hurt him with her words, but also not to get his hopes too high.

"Everyone was talking about their parents and I just... noticed I never tried to reunite with him. And maybe I should."He said. "If he even wants to."

So that was where that talk came from...  
"You shouldn't do anything you don't want to. It's okay if you can't see him, Gil." She said. "Jay also doesn't see his father, right?"  
Uma didn't want her friend to think that just because most of their friends reconnected with their parents, he needed to do it as well.

"Yeah, but I think I do wanna see him." He insisted. "You see your mother all the time, it can't be that bad."

Yeah, only Ursula had never left her to rot like Gaston did to him.  
She may had been a little absent, in the sense that she never cared what Uma was up to unless it bothered her somehow, and she did yell quiet a lot, and sure she may had been a sloppy mother by Auradon's perception of motherhood, but she was good when compared to how most villains treated their kids.

"You know that's different. My mother never sent me away." She said. "Yeah, she was a little pissed I don't work for her regularly like I used to, but I knew her door would be open for me."

"You're an Alpha, Uma. She never had a reason to kick you out." Gil said, as if his status justified what Gaston had done. "Maybe being in Auradon made my dad... I don't know, easier to deal with? Made him realize that here having an omega kid is not so bad? Or maybe... maybe he even missed having me around. I'll never know if I never try."

Uma sighed. He clearly wasn't going to give up on that, so the least she could do was help him, right?  
At least, if things didn't turn out ok, he'd have her shoulder to cry on.

"Fine, if you really want to, then I guess you should try. "She said. "You know, I'm pretty sure they have something called, hm... a location center, I guess? For people who got lost or separated from friends and family when the barrier was open."  
She had a faint memory of overhearing the King saying something about that.

Gil smiled at that, already more hopeful than he should be.  
"Really? That would be perfect." He said. "I'm sure my dad is not on the Isle anymore. He loves the idea of being someone important, being treated as royalty. I'm sure he moved here."  
Uma hoped that, at least, it wasn't too hard to find him. She didn't want them to lose time looking for someone who had nothing to do with them.

"You're probably right." The Alpha answered. "I can go with you to the location center next monday, what about that?"  
But Gil shook his head, insisting that he would be fine on his own, that she didn't need to worry.  
Guess what? She worried anyway.

"Look... just promise one thing." Uma pleaded. "Don't expect too much. I know people can change, but not all of them want to. If he still wants you out of his life, then it's his loss and I don't want to see you upset because of him."  
She had a feeling that what Gaston did, what he was, wasn't something that could be fixed magically.  
But she knew there was nothing she could do except rot for Gil's happiness. The worst that could happen was Gaston turning him away and the omega having another breakdown.  
Nothing that she and Harry couldn't deal with. So, really, they were all fine.

Gil looked at a loss for words during a few seconds, then he opened a small smile.  
"I'll do my best." The omega answered.

"That's all I ask for." Uma replied, smiling back at him.  
If only she could stop the people she cared about from getting hurt...

T w o d a y s l a t e r 

  
**GIL**  
Practice for tourney had just ended and Gil was excited over the fact that soon they would be playing bigger games. He couldn't wait to help his team.  
He was just sitting on the bench, waiting for Jay to leave the locker room and for Carlos to come back from cheering practice. Oh yeah, he ended up actually auditioning for it anyway and, of course, made it to the team.  
Even though he was in doubt at first, Carlos ended up actually loving the activity.

It didn't take long for him to arrive, looking as happy with cheerleader practice as Gil felt with his.  
"Hey, babe." He said, giving Gil a little peck on the lips. "How was tourney?"

"Hey." He greeted. "It was cool. We have like, a big game coming on soon and I'm pretty excited."

"I know, right? We're going to cheer in this game." Carlos remembered. "Did your practice end too long ago? If Jay's is like almost finished I'm going to shower at the dorm, but if he just went into the locker room I'm showering there too. I'm sweating like pig, man..."  
Gil frowned a little at that.

"He should come out any second from now, I think." Gil answered. "But... you'd actually shower there? With all the Alphas? Aren't you scared?"  
Carlos seemed to consider the question a little before answering.  
"I'd never do that if Jay wasn't also there. When we first started here, I'd watch Ben go into the locker room alone and I thought he was crazy, but he always seemed to be safe." He answered. "Again, I'm not comfortable enough to go there without Jay, but, as long as he's there... I know nobody will try anything. And if someone does try something, he'll protect me."

Carlos was right. Alphas from Auradon weren't as bad as some of the ones from the Isle, they'd probably leave Gil alone.  
"Besides, it's not like they even see anything. The showers are all separated and I put my clothes on inside the stalls."

But... still. Even knowing that, and knowing Jay would never let any of them ever touch either of his boyfriends Gil just wasn't brave enough for that.

"That doesn't mean you have to feel the same. There's nothing wrong if you feel uneasy about the locker room, you don't have to get in there." Carlos reassured him.   
Gil smiled, thankful for what he had said. Before they could talk more, their boyfriend finally aproached, smiling as he noticed Carlos had arrived.

"Hi, baby." He said, kissing Carlos' lips gently. "You know, I'm still upset they didn't give you the tiny skirt as uniform."  
His playful comment about the cheerleader uniform made Carlos roll his eyes and Gil laugh out loud.

The clothes he wore were still super tight, as usual for cheerios, but he had been giving pants instead of wearing exactly the same as the girls.   
Gil had a feeling that Jay had been dreaming about asking Carlos to wear the skirt in an entirely different context, but, unfortunately, his uniform just wasn't like that.

"Never say that in front of the girls, otherwise they might think about actually making me wear it." Carlos warned.

"Why would you say that? Now I'm dying to actually talk to them about it, babe." The Alpha said, making Carlos playfully slap his arm. "Ok, ok. Now really, how was practice?"

That was enough to make the omega smile.  
"Good. We're trying out a new number for the next game and it's so cool." He said."I mean, Audrey can be a real bitch sometimes, but in the end, she's the best captain we could have."  
That girl seemed to have a lot of determination, indeed.

"Gil, babe, are you going to stay in the dorm today?" Jay asked.

The omega shook his head.  
"Not really. I was thinking about maybe going there to shower and stuff, if it's okay? But then I'm going to the location center."

Jay frowned, opening his mouth to ask something, but before he could even say anything, they heard a voice behind them.

"Do you guys know how weird that is?" That fucking Liam guy again. "All of you being together like that. It's like Jay is cheating on both of you, only you know about it."  
Well, Liam had spent weeks without being a jerk.  
Such a shame it didn't last longer.

"It's not cheating, you dumbass." Jay answered, already angry at the douche."It's also none of your business."  
The guy rolled his eyes at Jay.

"It's just... so bizarre." He said. "People whisper about it, you know?"  
Yeah, they knew. They saw many people who were always observing them interact but never talked to them.  
They all knew these people were judging them, but the only thing that mattered was their happiness, so they didn't care.

"Let's just go, Jay." Carlos pleaded, knowing how quickly Jay would end up in a fight if no one did anything.  
Thank Evil, the Alpha listened and they all started walking away from that piece of crap before things got serious.

"What? You guys can't handle hearing the truth?" They heard Liam ask, but collectively decided the best thing to do was ignore him and kept walking

Only after they were already out of the field did Gil say:  
"He's so annoying." He complained. "He spent the last few weeks without being like that and I thought we were free."

"I think Liam is the bad Karma I have to deal with because of everything I stole." Jay said. "Like every fucking thing."  
They all ended up laughing at that and soon the bully was forgotten. Could he even be called that? Yeah, he was an annoying little shit, but being bullied back on the Isle meant barely not being able to stand up because a classmate, or many, beat you to a pulp.  
Compared to that, this guy seemed like a little kid throwing a tantrum and wasn't that exactly what he was?

Anyway, the three of them quickly changed their subject, not wanting to keep talking about that guy.  
That day was a busy day for Gil, he had already gone to school and practice and soon he would be heading to the location center to look for his father. Oh, and after that he had his first therapy appointment, that Ben had scheduled for him.  
He was pretty nervous about that and it didn't help that he hadn't told anyone else about it yet.

Ben said he shouldn't hide it, but Gil couldn't help but feel like going to that appointment was admitting he was weak. And he wanted neither his crew nor his boyfriends to view him like that.  
Well, Gil still had a few hours until that and a few other things to worry about until then.

They entered the dorm, Carlos went to shower to first as Jay and Gil ended up talking about the team, the players, discussed different strategies and such. When it was Gil's turn to shower he used the opportunity to relax and ease his mind a little.

Worst case scenario for the center: he doesn't find his father. Well, at least he would have tried.  
Worst case scenario for the therapy thing? It doesn't help and the lady tells him he is really too broken for her to do anything about it. Which, yeah, would hurt a lot to hear, but wasn't too different from his own perspective about himself. 

He's got this. He could do this, he didn't need to freak out and he didn't need to involve anyone else.

So, he got out of the shower, dressed up, kissed his boyfriends goodbye and went to the location center.  
He had researched where it was just the day before, happy to find out it wasn't a long way from the dorms.

He walked fast, not because he was really in a hurry, but because he was really nervous about everything.  
It didn't take long for him to find the friendly yellow building with a small board in front of it that said 'location center' with pretty cursive writing.  
He hadn't even noticed how his hands were sweating until he got there.

He opened the door to find a blonde omega girl with a sweet smile sitting behind the counter.  
"Hey there." She said. "What can I do to help?" She seemed nice enough that Gil could relax a little bit.

"Hi... I'm, hm, I'm a VK? And I came here after they opened the barrier, but I don't know where my dad ended up." He said, rather awkward. "I'm pretty sure he came to Auradon too and I wanted to find him."

"That happens a lot, that's why they created this place, after all."She said. "So many people moving at once... it's easy to lose touch with someone along the way."  
Well, that's not what had happened to him, but he wasn't about to this girl his whole sob story.

"So... who is your father?" She asked, getting ready to type his answer on her computer.

"Gaston." He answered, and didn't have the courage to look back at the girl and watch her reaction. "So... how does this work?"

"First of all, we check all information in the system and see if the person has already been here looking for someone." The girl explained. "If they didn't I'll ask you a few questions, like, how can I reach you and such. Then, we'll do our best to find whoever you're looking for, we have several volunteers to help with that, and if we do find them we call you."

All completely reasonable.  
"Let me check the system here, see if Gaston has ever stopped by." She said, typing really fast.

Gil knew what the answer was already, but he let the girl do her work.  
Gaston had no one else but him, and Gil was pretty sure that even if he did forgive his son for being born omega, he wouldn't be the one to reach out first. His pride wouldn't let him.

Soon the girl had a half-grimace on, explaining that no, Gaston had never looked for anyone there.  
"But that's fine, we'll still find him. We just need a little more time." She promised. "He's a well-known villain, someone must have seen him."

Well, Gil was counting with that.  
"Yeah, I hope so." He answered. "Thank you for helping."

"No problem, that's my job, after all." She said. "Seriously, we'll call as soon as we have something concrete."  
He wrote some of his personal information down for her and then left the place.

Well, this was way quicker than he thought it was going to be.  
All he could do now was hope that he didn't make the wrong choice.

**HARRY**   
_Ok, Harry was never_ _this nervous when he had to fight battles that meant life or death._

He had been chilling in the ship, watching a bit of tv, when Ben had called him, sounding exasperated:  
"My parents found out. I think you should come to the castle right now."  
And then he fucking hung up on him.

He dropped the bomb on Harry just like that and the Alpha was sure nothing good could come from the situation. I mean, they were keeping the relationship a secret for a reason, right?

And the way Ben had let him know didn't sooth him a bit. He sounded out of breath, either he was as desperate as Harry felt or he had just had an energic talk with his parents.

So, the Alpha didn't think twice before getting up and going to meet his boyfriend. He needed to be there for him, at least.

Just as Harry arrived at the castle, there was already a guard waiting for him, which seemed creepy but ok, who lead him to wherever the hell he needed to go. He could still get completely lost at that place.  
As soon as he entered the right corridor, the guard left him be, but it wasn't hard to find the source of the raised voices.

"It's just like when I was dating Mal." Ben said."You weren't this upset when it was her."

"That boy is even more of a bad influence." His dad yelled. "Benjamin Florian, he _kidnapped_ you. That should be enough for you to stay away."  
Full name, eh? Well, they were _so. fucking. screwed._

"Well, you also kinda kidnapped mom when you two first met. I mean, it wasn't like she wanted to stay in your castle." He said. "And you two are happily mated."  
Damn, that was a good comeback and Harry didn't know Ben had it in him.

"Ben! Don't talk to your father like that." Belle sounded utterly horrified at what she had just heard.  
Harry decided to open the damn door and just get in there before things got even messier.

Everyone stopped talking, stopped breathing even, as he entered the room.  
"Well... Ben told me to come and here I am." He faked a confidence he absolutely did not have. "What seems to be the problem?"

Him. He was the problem and he knew it.

Adam looked furious, there was anger all over his scent. Belle didn't look angry, just confused and appalled by all of that. Ben just looked like was relieved that Harry had shown up.

"What were you thinking, son?" Adam asked, utterly ignoring Harry's presence.  
Ben just sighed.

Harry felt like he ought to say something, but if there was one thing he didn't know how to do was being a peacemaker. He felt like anything that slipped out of his mouth would be throwing gasoline to that fire.

"I was thinking that he is someone I want to be with and that should be enough."The omega said. "Dad, this shouldn't be a discussion. Harry is my boyfriend, that's it."   
The man pressed his lips together, clearly agitated with the whole conversation.

"Honey, if you feel like there's nothing wrong with this relationship, then why did you hide it from us?" Belle asked her son, voice much softer than her husband's.   
"I knew you wouldn't like it." Ben answered. "I wanted to post-pone this discussion as long as I could."   
Belle sighed, completly exasperated.

"And you."Adam turned to Harry. "What do you have to say?"

"Sir, I understand that I may not be the picture perfect son-in-law." He started, which was an understatement. "But I think you should trust your son's judgement."  
Just as predicted, Harry didn't help the situation at all. The older Alpha just seemed more pissed off, fists clenched beside his body.

"He's right, dad." Ben insisted. "You trust me with a kingdom, but not with my own life?"

"Your life is much more precious to me than the whole kingdom, son." Adam answered.  
And _ouch._ So that's what it was like? To have a father who genuinely cared about you? You, as a person, and not as an extension of himself?  
Harry would never know the feeling, but he was glad Ben did.

Suddenly, he was glad that the whole situation was happening. If that was their way to show that they were worried about Ben, that they loved him, then Harry didn't mind being caught in the crossfire.

"We just want to make sure you know what you are doing, Ben." Belle insisted. "And we also wanted the chance to meet Harry in person."  
More like the chance to yell at Harry in person, but fine.

"I'm here." Harry said. "And if there's anything you want to know, or you want me to do, you should tell me now."

"We don't want anything from you, we just want our son to see-" The man started to say, but his wife interrupted.  
"Adam, please." She said. "Don't make a scene. This is not something we can control anymore."  
That seemed to make the man finally try to calm himself for the first time since Harry had entered the room.

"I'm sorry for not letting you meet him before, but I knew _this_ would happen." Ben said. "But I promise you he's not a bad person."

"If you're worried that I'm only dating him 'cause I want to take over the kingdom or something, that's not true. I'm a pirate, and I'm not even the captain of my crew. I don't wanna rule a whole kingdom." Harry explained. "I'm far from having any interest in royal business."

"So, you're saying you wanna be with my son, but not with the responsibility that comes with him?" Adam challenged, getting closer to the pirate.  
Without missing a beat, Harry answered:  
"No. I'm saying that, if it ever gets to a point where we get mated, I would be happy to let Ben reign on his own, without interfering in any choices he makes about Auradon. "He looked at the other Alpha in the eyes. "Because _I_ trust his judgement."

This made everyone stay silent for a few more seconds. Harry wasn't quite sure whether he helped or ruined everything by standing up to Adam like that.  
"Dad... mom... I love Harry, ok? Can we just not make a huge deal about it?" Ben asked, seeming calmer now.

Harry is man enough to admit that his heart started beating faster once he heard that. He wish he was also man enough to say it back.

"Look, we cannot say we are the biggest fans of this idea." Belle said. "But you're right about us needing to trust you, Ben. Just give us time to get used to it, please."  
That made Ben smile, nodding at his mother.  
Meanwhile, Adam massaged his own forehead with his eyes closed, probably stressed to the point of a headache already.

"I don't like this, Ben... not even a little bit..."The man said.

"But...?" Belle encouraged him to go on.  
"But your mother is right." He said. "This is not up to us."  
"And...?" This time it was Ben who urged.

"And we'll do our a best to learn how to deal with this." He finally said what both Harry and Ben wanted to hear.

"Now, Ben, me and your father have a lot to talk about." Belle said. "So, if you both excuse us..."

Harry didn't need to be told twice. He was itching to get out of there, both the place and the situation itself.  
So, he and his boyfriend left the room in a hurry. He bet Ben was also dying to leave that room.

"God, Harry... I'm so, so sorry about all of that." Ben said, as soon as left the corridor that lead to his parents' quarters."I hoped we would have more time until they found out."  
Harry stopped to slowly caress the omega's cheek.  
"Relax, darling. It could have been so much worse." He answered.

But that didn't seem to cheer the boy up. Ben looked, and smelled, genuinely distressed.  
"Hey, yer highness. Look at me." He pleaded and the omega complied. "It's fine, ok? I knew I would have to deal with their wrath sooner or later."

Ben let out a sad little smile.  
"I wish they would be fine with it." He said. "I mean, I know they will eventually, but I wish we didn't have to wait for that."

"They are being like that because they care. They don't want you to get hurt." Harry insisted. "It's ok that they are a little sceptical of me now, I can take it."  
Again, things could have been so much worse that Harry is glad how they worked out.

"Were you serious about what you said there?" Ben asked. "About not wanting to take charge of the kingdom? That is, if we ever get mated."

This was very unheard of. The Alpha spouse of an omega ruler had as much power as the omega.  
Even Harry, being born and raised far away from royalty, knew that.

But it didn't change how he felt. _If_ he and Ben made it this far, _if_ Ben ever decided Harry was really the one for him, he didn't want Ben to have any less power over his own kingdom because of it. The omega was a good king and he was sufficient by himself.  
"Of course, darling. This kingdom is yours and I'd never dream to take even a part of it from you." Harry said. "But let's not get ahead of ourselves now, right?"

He loved when Ben looked at him the way he was doing at that moment. He looked like he had just discovered the best thing in his life and, even though Harry knew he was far from being it, he basked in the feeling.

** GIL **   
He felt anguished. completely jittery with nerves.

The clinic wasn't exactly what he expected, so much less... clinical than he thought it would be. It was actually very cozy, with pretty colorful details on the warm and light toned wall, and Gil was sitting on a pretty comfortable small couch.

The doctor seemed really sweet; a middle aged beta lady, with dark skin and a blindly smile. She insisted that he should be as comfortable as possible.

But even with all that, he was sweating like a fucking pig about to be slaughtered. Logically, he knew she wouldn't take one look at him and scream at him about how there's no cure for someone like him. But still, even if she was kind about it, he was terrified to hear that there was no solution for him.

At first, the woman just asked Gil basic things about himself, like what was his name, how old he was, what he liked to do and such.  
The small talk did make him _slightly_ more collected about the whole thing.

"And what exactly brought you here, Gil?" She eventually asked, and there was Gil feeling anxious again. Assumably, she noticed as she added. "There's no right answers here. This is not a test for you to either pass or fail."

"I guess I just want to be fixed. "He said. "But Ben said that what you do is helping people feel better, not fixing them."

"He is right about me not fixing people. You know why?" She asked and he shook his head. "When a thing breaks you can either throw it away or fix it, but that's not what happens to people, we don't break. So that means we cannot be fixed. What does happen to people is being hurt. Or being sick. Or being sad. There are many different things, but none of them have the capacity to break a person."

Ok, that was _a lot_ to take in.  
The beta just let silence reign for a few seconds, letting him think about her words without rushing him in any way.  
Gil appreciated that.

"So... you don't think I'm broken?" He asked, slowly. Just to make sure.  
"I don't." She confirmed.  
"But I don't act like a normal person." He responded.

"Really? And how does a normal person act?" She asked.

"Well... they don't have breakdowns over movies. They don't feel like they are about to die just because they remembered something." He tried to explain."They don't make their best friends or their boyfriends sick with worry that they're about to freak out again."

She studied him for a bit, but her eyes were soft. He knew he wasn't being judged.  
"There's nothing out of the ordinary about that. A lot of people who go through trauma experience things like that." She told him, as calm as ever. "It's clear you're just hurt, Gil. All we will do here is find ways to make you feel better."

"Wait... how did you know about the trauma? Did someone told you?" He asked, sure that he hadn't told her anything about the old crew yet.  
"No one had to. As I said, it's very clear that you were hurt." She explained.  
Damn, if she knew what was wrong with him even though he didn't say anything, then she must be a really capable and trustworthy doctor.

Gil thought that she would ask many questions about what had happened, but she told him that she wanted to focus on the present. On how to make things better for him _now._  
They'd only discuss what happened to him if it was pertinent to what they would be working onor, of course, if Gil wanted to talk about it.

At the end of the session he felt more relaxed than when it started, since he learned that there was nothing to worry about. She was just a really nice lady who was trying to help him understand things and feel better.  
However, he didn't feel all that different either. It didn't feel like he just discovered something that would turn his life around, it didn't make him change in any way. But Ben warned him that these things took time, so he decided to trust his friend that everything would fall into place eventually.  
He was supposed to come back there after two weeks. He'd see how he would feel then.

When he arrived back at the ship, he was exhausted. Well, his mind more than his body.  
Uma offered him something to eat, Harry asked him if he was alright, but all he wanted was to lay on his bed and rest a little. He spent the day over thinking two entirely different situations that could make his life change a lot and now his head hurt.  
The next day he would talk to his friends, reassure them everything was fine and, no, nothing bad had happened to him. But at that moment all he wanted was to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed it, please, leave a review. If you didn't, the author also accepts construtive critics.   
> So, yeah, things are evolving pretty crazly for me, I'm so happy we're at CHAPTER TEN already. Thank you for the support♡ Stay tuned, there are still many things to happen and much angst for y'all to suffer through.


	11. And I'm sure things will work out okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Harry end up in a tough situation with some reporters, Harry causes a clusterfuck and Gil receives some news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is kind of a filler, kind of not a filler. Anyway, thank you so much for the reviews and kudos, they do inspire me a lot. Enjoy! ♡   
> Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day for you! ❤  
> WARNINGS: Harassment, discrimination, discussion of rape culture and hate crimes. A character has a minor breakdown.

**HARRY**  
It had been a few weeks since Adam and Belle found out that Ben was dating Harry. Things were calm during this time, his in-laws didn't make anymore of a fuss. In fact, he hadn't seen them since that day.  
Well, it wasn't like he could complain about it.

He and Ben had decided to act like nothing had happened. It didn't really change anything.   
However, just like it didn't take long for them to find out, it didn't take long for reporters and paparazzi to find out as well.

Harry needed to admit that part of it was his and Ben's fault for not even trying to be subtle about it, but it didn't mean he was pleased to see a bunch of Auradon weirdos with cameras waiting for them as soon as they left school.

"Oh, no. That's bad..." Ben complained in a hushed tone so that they wouldn't listen.  
They acted like a fucking gang and crowded both of them in seconds.

Harry could only be thankful that neither Uma nor Gil, God especially Gil, were leaving with them that day. She had a project to work on and he had tourney practice. At least they didn't got caught up in the middle of this mess.

The paparazzi were all talking at the same time, asking a bunch of different questions, at the same rate that the cameras flashed, the lights almost blindly.

"Is it okay if we agree to answer a few questions?" Ben whispered to him. "Just to make them go away."  
Harry just nodded. He knew this was a possibility when he started dating the king.

"Alright, we will be asking some questions, one at a time." Ben said rather loudly, making most of the disorganized talk stop.   
Then he pointed at one of them to speak, as calm as ever.

"So, it is true that you're dating Captain Hook's son?" A curly haired beta who seemed mostly nervous to be there than anything else, softly asked.

Ben bite his lips, looking at Harry as if asking for permission. The Alpha nodded, but decided to let his boyfriend handle the situation.  
"Yes, the rumors are true." The King confirmed.

There was a small commotion, some rushed tones and whispers, until someone else asked:  
"Are engagement and mating too far from happening?" Another reporter asked. "The whole kingdom has been waiting impatiently for a mating ceremony since your majesty called off your engagement to Maleficent's daughter only a few months before the date chosen for the ceremony."  
Well, wasn't that one a nosy little shit?

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Only time will tell what will happen." The King gave an appropriately politic answer to the question.

"Aren't you worried about Auradon staying so long without an Alpha ruler by your side?" Some dick asked.

"No, I'm not." Ben was a little more fierce in his tone. "I don't think I need a mate to be a good king. In fact, I know I don't."  
That made Harry smirk. He loved to watch his boyfriend act with confidence.

"Isn't the royal family worried about your pre-disposition to have a Villain as a mate?" Some smartass beta dude asked. "Since your last option, as well as your current one are ex-Isle residents."

His expression hardened.  
"No comment." He said, simply. "Next question."

"How can we expect you to rule well, when you cannot even choose your partners well? As far as we're concerned Hook was involved in a conspiracy to steal Fairy Godmother's wand, even going as far as kidnaping your majesty, only a year ago." A green-eyed Alpha, who seemed even more like a piece of shit than the others, with his smug smile and teasing tone, said. "Is that the behaviour you find appropriate for a royal?"

Ben looked pissed at that, but managed to only say:  
"I don't have to listen to that. Next question."

_"You will answer me, little omega."_ The same reporter said, this time using his Alpha voice.  
Ok, that made Harry feel _furious._ That son of a bitch had no right.

"I- I... I mean, I don't..." Ben struggled with his words, feeling the biological need to obey, but not knowing how to answer the damn question in a way that was appropriate for the circumstances.

Harry swears he tried. He tried to be calm and collected and let Ben handle the whole thing with the paparazzi, since he was already acclimated with that.  
But he wouldn't let another Alpha talk like that to his boyfriend.

_"Listen here you little fucker."_ He used his Alpha voice as well, and well, everyone from the Isle had their tricks to make themselves look and sound way more vicious. _"I'm not letting you talk to my omega like that. What do you know about reigning, huh?"_  
Harry gave a small pause and no one dared to say anything.

_"That's what I thought. All you do is stand there and judge, pretending you know a damn thing, when you don't. Ben doesn't need your fucking dumb opinions about his life, you piece of shit."_ He said. _"You don't get to use your fucking voice to overpower him into answering whatever you want. We're done here."_

Well, _shit._  
That's exactly what he meant when he said he wasn't fit for royalty. Look at the mess he just made.   
Ben looked shocked, not moving a single muscle.  
"Darling, let's go to the ship, ok?" He whispered, now talking normally again.   
The omega still looked lost but nodded, and held Harry's hand.   
They both cut through the crowd, Harry storming off so angrily that most of them got out his way without making a fuss.

He wanted to run towards the ship, dying to be away from those people, but Ben didn't see to be in any condition to do so.  
Thankfully, they weren't being followed, at least.

He hoped Ben wasn't too angry at him, but he knew better. He was almost sure he had started some kind of political crises.  
The Alpha just wanted to get to his fucking home so that he could talk to Ben and see how big the damage was.   
Fortunately, it didn't take too long for them to arrive. Again, Harry was so thankful that both Gil and Uma had stayed at school.  
Unhesitatingly, he took Ben to his bedroom so they could sort things out.

"Ben, darling, are you ok?" He asked, but the omega seemed to be in shock, eyes glassy and expression distant. "Fuck, yer highness... please, talk to me. Yell at me, just do something."

Harry knew what this was. Ben had been ordered by an Alpha to do something, a task he didn't manage to complete since he didn't answer the question accordingly. Just that would be enough to explain the state he was in.

And just after that, he stood there and heard an entire speech in Harry's Alpha voice. Of course, it wasn't directed at him, but he may have been scared or shocked by how long he had been exposed to it.   
Alphas usually only used their voices for small sentences, to order something from an omega or to challenge another Alpha. But Harry needed to get his message across, he needed to do more than challenge that reporter, he wanted to _crush_ him for what he told Ben.

Harry decided that he should get Ben to drink some water, but when he made a motion to leave Ben grabbed his hand harder.   
"Stay, Alpha." He pleaded, in a small voice.

Oh, Evil.   
"Hey, I'll just go to the kitchen, alright?" Harry explained. "I'll get you a water bottle."

"No." The omega insisted."Stay, please."  
Harry sighed, not really knowing how to deal with that.  
"Ok, let's lie down for a bit, then." He agreed. "I'm not going anywhere, yer highness."

So they did. They ended up cuddling face to face, scenting each other as well as they could. Harry hoped his scent was calming to the omega. He kept gently tracing his boyfriend's shoulder and arms, helping him to get more relaxed.

Ben closed his eyes to bask in the sensations and Harry considered that a good sign.   
"You're feeling better?" He asked.

"Yeah." He answered. "Smell good, Alpha."  
Yeah, not _so_ much better then.   
"Thanks, darling. So do you." He said, pressing a gentle kiss to Ben's forehead.

They stayed a few more minutes like that, until Harry heard someone arriving at the ship.  
"Harry, you forgot to lock the door. What the hell were you think- What happened?" Uma said, getting to his room and probably sensing the smell of distressed omega all over the place.

"There were some paparazzi after us." Harry explained, in the lightest tone he could muster. "One used his voice on Ben, but he couldn't comply. And then he was exposed to my voice as I talked to the guy."

"Oh, poor Ben." She said, sounding genuinely sorry for the situation. "Do you need something?"

"Could you get us water? He won't let me leave here." Harry asked.  
Soon Uma did bring him a bottle, and then disappeared to her bedroom.

"Ben, can you seat for me?" Harry asked. "You need to drink this."  
The omega seemed more lucid as he opened his eyes. They weren't glassy anymore.  
He sat up, but instead of taking the bottle, he just opened his mouth. Harry took that as an indication he should help him drink, putting the bottle on his lips.

"How are you feeling?" Harry asked, as soon as he stopped drinking.

"Fuzzy, I guess..." Ben was talking slowly. "But better."  
That was a relief.  
"That's good." Harry said, now gently running his fingers through the boy's hair. "I'm sorry. For everything."

"Not your fault. Mostly just... not obeying the guy." He answered.   
But Harry knew that listening to his voice _did_ add to the feeling.

"Do you want to sleep a little bit?" He inquired, knowing that whole interaction had tired Ben out. The omega just nodded, laying back again.

"Thank you." Ben said, eyes already closed. "For standing up for me."

**GIL **  
He was just lazing around in his boyfriends' bedroom, the three of them watching some dumb show from Auradon.   
It was mostly just an excuse for them to cuddle; Jay was in the middle, legs tangled with Gil's as he had one of his hands around Carlos.

Gil didn't really want to ruin the moment they were having, but something had been in his mind during the last few weeks and he needed to talk to his boyfriends about it.

"I went to therapy." He blurted out, just like that.  
Way to go, Gil. Both Jay and Carlos sat up, startled by the sudden news. "The lady says she can help me feel better."

"That's good, Gil." Carlos offered. "I don't know much about therapy, but if it's something that can help you, we support you."  
Gil smiled at that. He should have known they would be supportive about this. They always were.

"He's right. We just want you to be happy." Jay added. "So... you think it's working?"  
Gil shrugged.  
"I can't see any difference, but Ben told me it doesn't happen like magic. It takes time."He said. "But the therapist is nice and I-"  
He stopped in the middle of his sentence when he heard something that got his attention.

"We're sorry to interrupt your usual program. But there are breaking news about the royal family." An anchor said, on the tv.

Well, there was no way in hell this could be good.

"King Ben is dating yet another Villain Kid, and this one seems even more unstable than Maleficent's daughter." The man went on. "We have images of Harry Hook screaming and using several offensive words directed at a group of paparazzi in front of Auradon High."

"What the fuck..." He heard Jay softly breath out.  
Multiple pictures of a very disturbed Harry showed up on the screen.

"Our sources say the young man was out of himself. Unfortunately, we cannot air the footage of what happened, since not only were his words utterly inappropriate, but he was using his Alpha voice." The man went on. "The royal family still hasn't commented the case."

Well, fuck.   
Yeah, everyone kind of expected Harry to be involved in some kind of scandel sooner or later, but not one _this_ big.   
He needed to check on his friend.

"Guys, I'm, I'm sorry, but I need to go, see how he is doing." Gil said, already getting up.

Both his boyfriends nodded, looking genuinely worried.   
"Sure, babe. If you need anything, tell us." Jay said.

Gil left the dorms in a hurry, overcome with worry.  
He felt like Harry and Uma were always running around to make sure he was safe, but the truth was he was worried about them just like they were worried about him.

He barely felt the way until he got to the pier, mind too preoccupied to notice anything around him. When he got there he was absolutely breathless.

As soon as he entered the ship, he came to face with his friends talking in the kitchen.  
"Harry, are you ok? What the hell happened?" Gil asked, still out of breath.

Harry sighed.  
"I'm fine, but I'm not so sure about Ben. He's still sleeping in my bedroom." He answered. "The paparazzi started harassing us after school and things got pretty bad."

"Oh, Harry..." Gil lamented.

"They started to ask pretty invasive questions, Ben refused to answer one of them and a piece of shit used his Alpha voice on him, to force him to answer." Harry explained. "Of course, I flipped."

It was understandable that Harry did that. Even though Gil had only been in Auradon a few months he knew how frowned upon it was to use your voice on omegas you aren't even close with.  
Let alone one you don't know. Let alone while you're working.

That guy was a piece of shit indeed.

"Wait, how did you know something had happened?" Uma asked, suddenly alarmed.

"They talked about it on TV. It wasn't pretty." He revealed.   
Harry let out an exasperated sigh, as he rubbed the nape of his neck in distress.

"Can I go to jail or something for that?" The Alpha asked. "'Cause I feel like Adam and Belle are going to find a way to do so."  
They were going to freak out once the news got to them and all of them knew it.

"Was Ben scared? Did he shut down?" Gil asked, knowing first hand how these things can mess with an omega.

"Yeah, he didn't manage to complete what was ordered to him, so he was pretty shaken." Harry answered, making his friend gasp.  
Evil, to be in this situation is _dreadful_ _._  
It's not impossible to resist an order like that, but to disobey causes physical pain. And your mind becomes a mess.

Gil had tried to resist many orders from Captain Hook, at the beginning, but most of the time he couldn't bear it and ended up giving in.   
"Damn, that's bad. I hope he's ok." He said.

"The best we can do for now is to keep calm and let Ben rest as much as he needs." Uma reminds them. She's always the voice of reason, one of the motives why she's the captain. "Why don't we just... relax, watch something. Try to get this out of our minds for a bit?"

They ended up agreeing, but even as they put on some show that did seem good, none of them could concentrate. Gil and Uma kept exchanging worried glances and trying to study how their friends was.  
Harry was restless, his mind as well as his body. He kept twisting and playing with his rings, probably not even noticing, and his legs couldn't keep still for long.

It was clear that no one had stopped thinking about what happened at all, but, well, it was better than walking in circles around the ship, trying to find ways to restore a situation that was above them.

Thankfully, they didn't spend too much time like that, since less than a half hour before that, they heard a sleepy voice ask, from the doorway:  
"Guys?"

They all turned to see a Ben that looked as exhausted as he sounded.  
"Darling, what are you doing up? You should rest." Harry said, already getting up to assist his boyfriend, but the omega shook his head.

"I really have to deal with... you know, everything." He said, rubbing his eyes. "I need to call my parents, check if they know already."

"They probably do." Gil said, tone soft. "It's on tv now."  
Ben groaned, clearly not wanting this to be a big scandal.

"I'm sorry again, darling." Harry said, giving Ben a kiss on the cheek. "Fuck, if your parents didn't hate me before, they sure do now."

"I told you you did nothing wrong. You were just protecting me. That guy was out of line." Ben said, but did not address the part about his parents. Probably because he knew Harry was right.

"I can't believe that guy. Using his Alpha voice on the king? Seriously?" Uma said, clearly expressing what everyone was also thinking.

"No one had ever done that before. I don't even wanna think about how much worse it could have been if Harry wasn't there." Ben told her.

"You're going to get him fired, right?" Gil asked, not wanting a guy like that to keep harassing his friends.

"I hope so. I mean, technically I could get him arrested, but I don't think I want that." The king explained. "This will just add fuel to the fire."

"Arrested?" Gil asked. "Not that I don't think he deserves it, but why?"

"Gil, he's the king. He can do whatever the fuck he wants." Uma answered. He had to admit she had a point. Ben ended up laughing a little at the interaction.  
"No, no. I mean, yeah, there's also _that_ little fact _._ " Ben said. "But there are laws regarding the use of Alpha voices on omegas. Alphas can use it in challenges amongst them, or on betas or even when talking to crowds, but there are rules regarding omegas."

Gil had never thought about that. On the Isle there weren't any laws, period. But laws made to protect omegas? It seemed utopic to him.   
But then again, Auradon generally did seem so.

"Like, you can only use it in public if the omega is your mate, a family member or a friend. You can't just walk up to a strange omega on the street and order them around. That's harassment." Ben kept going. "That's the one that applies to this case, but there are other restrictions."

"Anything we should be worried about?" Uma asked. "We could be committing a crime without knowing."

Ben shook his head.  
"God, no. Neither of you would do any of that." He assured. "It's heavier stuff like using your voice to make omegas work for you, which could even be considered slave work. Or maybe using it to force an omega to... have uh, intercourse with you or something. But I don't think there was ever a case of this last one."

Gil had to gawk at that. There was a sea of emotions bubbling up inside him.   
Not only here Alphas were instructed not to hurt omegas, but they were punished if they did so. There was a law against using the voice to order an omega to have sex, even though, technically, they could resist. It just hurt a lot and made you all confuse and floaty, so many omegas just gave in.   
And not only did they have this law, but everyone respected it to the point that no one was ever caught breaking it.

It was _so_ different than what happened on the Isle. There were no laws, to start with. And Alphas were _encouraged_ to hurt omegas. He had seen fathers and mothers taught their Alpha kids how to corner omegas in dark allies so they could do whatever they wanted to them. He had heard Alphas gloating to each others, sometimes even to betas, about omegas they had force-fucked the night before.   
He had felt how utterly unapologetic the Alphas who hurt him were, how they didn't think it was wrong of them to hurt him.

Gil wasn't one to feel sorry for himself. Most of the time, he genuinely thought he deserved what had been done to him.   
But at that moment all he could feel was the _unfairness_ of the situation. When he had first came to Auradon, he was so caught up by how amazing everything was that he didn't think about how unfair it was that it was the first time he saw all those amazing things.

Even if he's not the best person ever, he knows he's still learning, he didn't choose being born on the Isle, he didn't choose being an omega and he didn't choose being the kid of a villain.   
And all the other omega kids didn't choose any of that either.   
Why did they deserve less protection? Why was everyone so worried about Auradon's omegas being coerced into doing something they didn't want, but no one gave a single fuck about omegas from the Isle being raped and beaten and humiliated?

"Gil, are you okay?" Harry asked, coming closer and touching his shoulder lightly.   
He could probably smell how distressed Gil was.

Gil started breathing in and out slowly, doing his best to calm himself.  
He was ok now, he was _safe_ now and that was all that mattered. He was fine and so were all the other omegas from the Isle, the same laws that protected people from Auradon protected them now.   
This is the mindset he should have.

"I'm good. I'm just... thinking about how different from the Isle that all is." He answered, still doing his best to relax.

Most people from Auradon may not care, many of them may even agree that they all deserved what had been done to them, but Ben cared.  
His friend cared so much he took all of them to safety, he made sure no one was in danger anymore. He went against his own people to make sure the people from the Isle weren't being hurt anymore.

And Ben is the king. So as long as he cared, that was all that mattered, because he could make sure no one was being treated unfairly again.

With that in mind, Gil managed to make himself feel better about the whole thing. Ben gave him a sad little smile, probably getting what he meant, but still too tired to think of something useful to say. Gil honestly couldn't blame him.

"I really need to go to the Castle, guys." Ben said. "This might be a royal crisis, I need to solve this."

Harry shook his head.   
"Ben, please. Rest just a little bit more, so you can see more clearly, huh?" He asked.

"I can't. If I do this, my parents will deal with everything on their own and I can't do that to them." Ben insisted. "I can't force my responsibilities on someone else and I can't let this blow up either."

Harry sighed.  
"Can I at least go with you? Make sure you're alright?" He said.

"I don't... I don't think it's a good idea." Ben answered, not quite meeting Harry's eyes.  
"Darling, I can take your parents, alright? I know they are going to be beyond pissed at me and I can live with that." Harry said, cupping Ben's face gently. "But I can't sit here and watch you go there alone when you're still in a vulnerable state."

Ben looked conflicted, but ended up agreeing with his boyfriend.   
They ended up leaving the ship, hand in hand, without exchanging any other word with his friends.  
They had a lot on their plates.

As soon as they were out the door, Uma looked at him with worried eyes.   
"You sure you're ok? You seemed like you lost it for a few seconds there." She asked.

He nodded.   
"I just... got caught up in how sad and unfair it is that when we were on the Isle there wasn't anything like that to protect omegas." He said. "But it's fine. We're all here now and we're all safe."  
Uma looked pained at his words.

"Doesn't mean you can't be sad that you spent all your life without feeling safe." She said, petting his hair in a comforting manner.

He shrugged.  
"I get nothing by being sad or angry for something that's already gone." He said. "The past is past, right?"

**BEN**  
He and Harry were facing his parents and none of them dared to be the first one to speak.   
So, they all fell into the most uncomfortable silence Ben had ever experienced in his life.

His mind was still a little foggy from what had happened, but not enough that he didn't know how much trouble they were in.   
How would he make his parents start liking Harry if they just got involved in one of the biggest royal scandals ever? He knew it wasn't their fault at all, but still...

"Ok. Let's do it like this." His mom started, talking really slowly. "Ben, I want you to tell me exactly what happened. Word by word."

He gulped.  
"It wasn't Harry's fault." He blurted out, too quickly judging by the stare he got from his mother. "We were leaving school together and a bunch of paparazzi ambushed us, so we agreed to answer a few questions. But people started getting mean and this Alpha guy asked something really offensive, and when I refused to answer he used his voice to make me comply."

"Excuse me, he did _what?_ " His father said, growling his words out, his eyes raging with fury.

"That son of a bitch tried to order him around with his Alpha voice." Harry piped in, also sounding angry.

"Watch your tongue young man." Belle reprehended. "But... Ben, that's pretty serious. What happened after that?"

"I t-tried to comply, but I didn't know how to answer, so Harry became protective and starting yelling at the guy, challenging him with his voice." He explained.

"Who was the reporter? We need to get him arrested, he can't treat you like that." Adam complained, still livid with the situation.

"Dad, we already have a big crisis coming our way. We don't need to make a scene, let's just get him fired, ok?" Ben said and his father looked like he wanted to argue, but decided not to do so.

"I'll make some calls, then. Find out who this Alpha is and calm down the media a bit. "Belle said, already getting up.

"No, mom. I need to face this, you don't have to-" Ben started, but got interrupted.  
"Benjamin Florian, you just went through an extremely distressing situation. I don't care if the people think you should face this a the King, as an omega, you need to rest." His mom insisted. "I mean it, honey. Your health comes first."  
Harry looked at him with his best 'I told you so' face.

He wanted to prove he was a strong leader, he wanted to prove he could deal with everything alone. But he knew his mother was right.   
He was in no conditions to deal with such delicate matters. His head was foggy, he felt exhausted and he still felt the pain of going against a direct command like that.

"Son, why don't you go to your room and sleep a bit? We can take care of it. Needing a break doesn't mean you're weak." His father reassured him.

"What happens with Harry?" He asked, carefully.   
From the way his dad had seemed furious, Ben wouldn't be surprised if he woke up and discovered Harry had been thrown in jail.

"Well, he broke no laws, so nothing happens to him. Except maybe being prohibited to talk to the press ever again." The woman said.

"That's no hardship." Harry was quick to add.

"Look... I don't like how things happened." Adam started, looking directly at the other Alpha. "But you protected my son when he needed and that's all I could ask of you."

Was this... his approval? His father was not mad at Harry, but glad he confronted the paparazzi?  
His boyfriend looked as shocked as he felt.

"Now, go. We'll handle what needs to be handled today. Anything else you can deal with when you feel better." Belle told her son.

Both he and Harry got up really slowly, as if expecting his parents to change their mind last-minute.  
As soon as he was out of the room he felt like he could breathe better.

"This went way better than I hoped." Harry said.  
Ben nodded, happy that his parents didn't freak out. I mean, they did a little, but it wasn't directed at them.

Honestly, he was happy that his parents were so worried about him that they didn't blame them for damaging the royal image.   
In fact, it seemed like his dad even bonded with Harry a little, over Ben's safety, right at the end.

"Do you want me stay with you?" The Alpha asked.  
Ben blushed, realizing he had never really invited Harry to his bedroom at all.

"You don't need to, if you don't want." He answered, knowing his boyfriend probably had other things to do.

"That's not what I asked, yer highness." He teased, gently caressing the omega's cheek.   
Ben smiled at the sweet gesture.

"Yes, I want you to stay." He admitted.

"Then, I'm staying." Harry said and then gave him a quick kiss.

They went to Ben's bedroom, and Harry clearly tried not to show how impressed he was.   
Ben took the comfiest clothes he had and went to change in his bathroom. When he came back, his boyfriend was shirtless. He wasn't sure if it was to make himself more comfortable or because it made scenting easier.

They both lied down, side by side, and Harry spread his arms as an invitation. Soon they were completely tangled, Ben inhaling the comforting scent from his boyfriend as the Alpha ran his fingers through Ben's hair sweetly.  
It was bliss.  
It was also what he deserved after such an overwhelming day.

"It hurt a lot." He blurted out, not even knowing why he was talking. "Not being able to obey that guy. It was the first time I didn't obey an Alpha voice, I didn't know how much it hurts."  
Harry looked at him with sad eyes.  
"I'm sorry, darling." He said. "But you're okay now, right? You're here with me, your parents will make sure he is fired and everything is fine now."

**UMA**  
She was a lot calmer after Harry called letting her and Gil know that everything was fine, Adam and Belle weren't about to try to end him and he was going to spend the night at the castle.

She was just chilling in her room when she heard the telephone they had on the ship ringing. Weird. Maybe Harry forgot something and wanted one of them to drop it there?  
She got up and picked up the phone.   
"Hello?"

"Hello." A sweet voice that was definitely not Harry answered. "I'm looking for Gil. May I speak to him?"

Ok, _that_ was weird. Maybe he ended up in some trouble at school or something?  
"Wait a sec." She said, then moved the phone away from her face and yelled. "Gil, come here. Someone wants to talk to you."

The omega seemed as confused as she felt at hearing that, but took the phone anyway.  
"It's Gil. Yeah, yeah, I was there. Oh... really? Are you sure?" Uma couldn't hear the other end of the conversation, but she knew something was happening. "Tomorrow? Yeah, I guess I can... But you're really sure about that, right?"

He looked nervous and Uma didn't like that, not even a little.

"Ok, then. Well, thank you for everything." He said, and then hung up the phone.

His eyes were distant, as if he was looking right through his friend and not at her. His face was blank and Uma was both confused and worried.

"Who was it? Did something happen?" She asked.

He kept wearing the same blank stare as he answered.  
"It was from the location center. They found my dad."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you liked it, please, leave a review. It doesn't take that long and it makes the author so, so happy :)  
> So... yeah, some important things are happening. And there's still much trouble ahead, so stay tuned.


	12. I've never been in love before so you gotta go easy on me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gil feels ready to take a new step with his boyfriends, Ben overworks himself and Gaston shows up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thank you for your feedback. At this, I think we reached the highest point of happiness for our characters in this fic. After that, it will start evolving for things to go downhill again lol. Please, bear with me in this crazy journey. Enjoy! ♡  
> WARNINGS: smut (everything consensual there, don't worry), first time, mentions of rape, mentions of a bad childhood, a character reunites with someone who hurt them in the past, mentions of a character's low self-esteem.

**BEN**  
He went to school the next day, despite Harry insisting he should stay and rest. It was an exhausting day, he kept explaining the story over and over, both for students and reporters.

His parents managed to find out who that Alpha was and expose him to the media, demanding that he got fired. Not only he did that, but people also became so mad that someone would disrespect the King like that, that most of them forgot to judge him for dating another VK. Not all, but most of them.   
That reporter had managed to make everyone angry: progressists were appaled by how offensive it was to use your voice on an omega you don't even know, and traditionalists were enraged that a peasent would talk like that to royalty.

So Ben was pretty sure that, eventually, things would cool down again. People just needed time to focus on something else. The next time the tabloids had fresh gossip, the people would calm down and focus on something else.

Which didn't mean he wasn't _freaking out_ about the whole thing, because he was. He had so many interviews to give, so many questions to answer... he was almost going crazy from dealing with that.

He was currently having lunch with Gil, trying his best to take his mind off the current events.

"So... I'm going to meet up with my dad tonight." Gil blurted out.

"Really? Are you sure you want to?" Ben asked, not being so sure himself whether that was the best option for his friend.

"Yeah. I mean, if he agreed to see me, he must have forgiven me already, right?" Gil asked.   
It made Ben's heart ache that Gil thought he needed to be forgiven.

"Don't say it like that, you did nothing wrong." The King said. "But yeah, I suppose that he must have let his old views in the past."

"He even agreed to pay for us to have dinner. Isn't it nice? Maybe coming to Auradon changed him." He said. "Or maybe he didn't like spending all this time alone, with no family."

It was a possibility. Ben, well, he had his reasons to be wary of Gaston, but if he didn't believe people could change he wouldn't have opened the barrier.   
"Were you guys close before you presented?" He asked, suddenly curious.

"I don't know. Not by Auradon's standards, I guess. But he was always talking to me, all the time." Gil answered. "He liked to hear the sound of his own voice and I happened to be there."

Ben tried not to show much of a reaction to that. He didn't want Gil to think he pitied him.   
"I've always tried to earn him being proud of me, but... I think he was only proud of himself, you know?" Gil said, eyes downcast. "Is it... is it weird that I'm talking to you about him? It's fine if you don't want me to talk about it."

Well... Ben couldn't pretend it wasn't awkward to hear his friend talking about the man his dad hated and his mom didn't like to remember.   
But he had never met Gaston in person, he may be really wary of him, but he had no reason not to listen to his friend.

"No, it's fine. Maybe a little weird, yeah." He admitted. "But it doesn't bother me." Gil smiled at that. "What do Jay and Carlos think about that?"

Gil mad a face at that.  
"Carlos encouraged me to do whatever I want about it and all that. Jay tries to pretend he doesn't hate the idea, but I know he does." He explained. It was really a rough situation.

Before Ben could say anything, he heard his favorite voice behind them.  
"So, that's where you guys stay?" Harry said, coming closer and giving Ben a quick kiss. "It's beautiful up here."

"It is." His friend agreed, cheerfully. "What you're doing here?"

"What? Can't I just drop by to say hello to one of my best friends in the world and for my lovely boyfriend?" Harry said. What was that, was he actually _pouting?_

"Let me guess, you want me to sneak out with you so we can make out in the janitor's closet again." Ben supplied, knowing his boyfriend well.

Harry smiled at him, a wicked little gleam in his eyes.   
"Well... you've got me, yer highness." Harry answered."C'mon, you said you can't come over later 'cause you have interviews and boring royal stuff. That's all time we have today."

He rolled his eyes and Gil laughed at the whole interaction.  
But Ben needed to admit Harry was 100% right and he was just as eager to get the Alpha alone.

"Gil, would you be upset if I-" His friend interrupted before he could finish.

"Of course not. You guys go have fun!" He assured, giving Ben a small pat on the back as encouragement.   
That being set, Ben got up to follow the Alpha out of there.

"Thanks, mate. I owe you one." Harry said, directing the comment to their friend, who just laughed.

Even with everything that had went down the day before, Ben was completely happy. His relationship was going more than well, he had good friends there for him.  
He was in a good place, really. If only he would stop getting nervous over the little accident from the day before, things would be perfect.

** GIL **   
Class was over and so was practice, which meant he was in his boyfriends' dorm again. It became kind of a routine to them, to be together like this after class.

They were making out, as they usually did; Jay was lying in the middle of the bed and would take turns between the two of them, while the other watched them attentively. It was Carlos' turn at the moment, and not only were they vigorously kissing, but also grinding against each other through their pants.

And looking at the two of them together, Gil felt something different.  
He felt such a sense of peace and love when he was around them, he always did, but that day he felt something more, something he couldn't quite describe. Something to do with how safe he felt around them.  
But he was pretty sure he knew what it meant. He trusted both of them with his life, and the rush of feelings that got to him when he thought about it was enough to make him make a decision.

"Guys..."He called, making Jay and Carlos let go of each other lips to look at him. "I think I'm ready."  
Both of them got wide-eyed, clearly not expecting to hear that so soon. 

"Ready as in ready for me to...?" Jay trailed off, but even without the exact words Gil knew he had understood.  
"Yeah. Ready for you to knot me." Gil managed to say. "If you want to."

"Are you sure, babe?" Carlos asked. "It's a big decision for you and no one is in a hurry."  
Gil nodded, that was precisely the fact that made him comfortable enough to allow it in the first place.   
"I wanna try it." He insisted.

Was Gil's brain playing tricks on him or did Jay started to seem genuinely nervous at that?  
"Jay, are you ok? It's fine if you don't want to do it." He assured. Jay had as much right to say no as he did.

"No, I want it. Like, I want it so bad." He said quickly. "It's just... a lot of responsibility to take someone's virginity. Especially after everything you went through."  
Gil had to frown at that.   
"Babe... I'm not a virgin. You know this." Everyone knew this, actually. What was Jay talking about?

"Hey, none of that. You had no choice on what those Alphas did to you, that wasn't sex." He clarified. "But know you're choosing to let me do this, and I wanna make it good for you. I wanna show you how good it can feel good when everyone is choosing to be there."

That made sense, in a way. And it was very sweet of Jay to be worried about that. Not sure what else to say, he kissed Jay again, pulling him closer until the Alpha got the hint and rolled on top of him. That was still familiar territory for him, hot making out with their body fully pressed against each other.

The decision he had made was one made out of trust, and he tried his best to transmit all this trust through the kiss.    
All three of them had already been shirtless when Gil announced what he wanted, so all that was left was their pants and underwears. Jay and Gil took each other's clothes off, as Carlos did the same to his own.

When the three were completely naked, Jay turned to kiss Carlos again, sucking and biting on his lower lips in excitement. It didn't take long for them to go back to grinding, only now fully naked.  
Gil felt himself start to get wet just from looking at the scene in front of him.

Jay loved to make works of art on Carlos' neck, it was his thing. Or one of them, at least. He started leaving hickeys, that soon would turn into the darkest shade of purple Gil has ever seen. The Alpha was an artist who did a beautiful work on the canvas of Carlos' body. And my, my, was it beautiful.

Carlos whined at the rough little bites Jay left on his neck and shoulder, arching into the touch.  
"I think it's better if I get you off first." The Alpha told Carlos. "So we can focus on Gil, after that."

The omega nodded happily, already out of it with the way his boyfriend was touching him. Jay started leaving a trail of wet kisses down his belly. When he got to the end, he quickly put Carlos' legs above his shoulder.  
Carlos immediately started using his legs to try to pull him closer.  
"Someone is eager, huh?" Jay said, chucking rather darkly.

He decided not to tease, instead spreading Carlos' cheek with his hands and diving right in with his tongue. He wasted no time, licking and exploring from the get go.

"Fuck, you guys are so pretty together." Gil let out, already breathless at the sight.

Carlos started trying to raise his hip, to get even closer Jay's mouth somehow, as if it was possible. But the Alpha pressed a strong hand on his hip, not letting him move at all.  
The omega let out a needy moan.

Jay alternated between sucking and actively thrusting his tongue inside the boy, getting his face all messed up with slick. He had no mercy and Carlos loved it.   
The omega started tangling his fingers in Jay's hair, the intention of pulling him closer still very clear.

Jay started rubbing Carlos' hole rather gentle, contrasting with the rough movements of his tongue inside him. Slowly, he pressed one finger inside the tight ring of muscles and began rubbing there.   
"More..." Carlos pleaded, pitifully clinging to his boyfriend's hair.

The second finger came almost immediately, rubbing in the same pace as the first one. The Alpha pressed both fingers up, aiming to find the sweet spot there. Judging by Carlos' loud moan, it wasn't too hard for him to find it.

Jay stopped using his mouth there, deciding to go back to kissing him, making him taste himself in his lips.  
"You're a sweet little thing, huh?" He said, which made Carlos nod. However, the omega was so lost in the feeling he would have agreed to almost anything. "Wanna taste, Gil?"

That startled the boy a little, he was not expecting to be actively involved in this part. But seeing Jay's face and lips still dripping wet, he decided to give it a try.   
He came closer to Jay, already starting the kiss open-mouthed.

The slick made everything taste quite different. As Jay had said, it was pretty sweet, but it felt neither pleasant nor unpleasant to Gil. It was just a new taste and texture to make the kissing more interesting.   
During the whole kiss, Jay still had two of his fingers inside Carlos, not stopping his movements for anything.

They had to part for breath, but Jay didn't wait too much until he used his mouth again; this time back to decorating Carlos' neck, which he loved to do. The sounds of sucking and licking echoed through the room.As his lips worked there, Jay started working a third finger inside the omega's hole. He whined at the feeling.

Jay, pressed up again, brushing against the nub of nerves he intended to touch.  
"I'm already... close..." Carlos breathed out, voice cracking at the end.

"Think you can do it just from this?" Jay asked, intensifying the thrusts of his fingers. Carlos nodded, arching his back at the sudden change of pace.

This made Jay went back to licking down there, wanting to give his boyfriend more stimulation. He used the fingers vigorously, as he gave slow kitten licks around the ring.

After that, it didn't take all that much for Carlos to come, moaning out Jay's name sweetly as he spilled against his own stomach.

The Alpha took his fingers out, making his boyfriend whine as he did so, and then licked all three of them, making a show out of it.   
"You good?" He checked, as Carlos was still catching his breath.   
"Yeah... just a little breathless." He answered.

Jay lied on the bed, beside him, probably feeling a bit tired too.   
"You wanna take a break?" Gil offered, knowing that it probably wasn't as easy as Jay made it seem to make sure both of them were satisfied.   
But Jay shook his head vehemently.   
"I'm fine. Come here, babe."He said, patting his thighs, so Gil could seat on his lap.

He did just that, and Jay started to kiss his lips sweetly. It wasn't rushed in any way, and it helped him become more relaxed for what was to come.  
He wanted to go on, he wasn't afraid. I mean, he was a little afraid of how much it was going to hurt, but he knew that if the pain outweighed the pleasure all he needed to do was tell Jay to stop and he would.  
He was sure of his decision.   
The kiss was slow and sensual, Jay's lips seeming to melt his own. It felt like they had all the time in the world.

Suddenly, Jay turned them around on the bed, staying of top of Gil.   
"I think it's easier like this." He said. "That is, if you still want to go all the way."

Gil nodded firmly. He wanted to do it, even if he knew it was probably the most vulnerable he would be in his life, he trusted them to make sure he was safe and comfortable. After all, they always did that, always made him feel like that.

So Jay went back to the kissing, grinding excruciately slowly against his boyfriend.  
Gil was already feeling himself get slick since they had started fooling around, so he knew that by that moment it was dripping down his thighs.

Jay slowly started to insert the tip of a finger inside him, still testing the waters. They had done that before and more than once, but he knew penetration was a sensitive matter to Gil.  
The Alpha didn't immediately look for his sweet spot, like he would usually do, since this time it was about stretching him, preparing him, and not getting him off just from fingering.

He let Gil get used to it, gently rubbing his insides and digging his finger deep, all the slick easing the way greatly.   
He started mouthing at the junction between Gil's neck and shoulder, making the boy let out a surprised gasp.

Soon, he started to insert the second finger, which made Gil tense up against him.  
"Ease, babe. We've done this before, it's nothing new." He advised. "We can stop, but if you don't want to you need to relax."  
The omega took a deep breath. He could take three of Jay's fingers in the blink of an eye by now, he knew the only problem was that he was a little tense, even if he knew everything was fine.

Slowly, he managed to become relaxed enough that he could take the second finger as he usually did; easily. Jay smiled as he felt the tension slowly leave his boyfriend's body, and went right back to kissing him.

He started scissoring his fingers, which he didn't usually did, so Gil let out a surprised little yelp against his mouth, but didn't complain. Jay wanted to be sure he was properly stretched out.

The Alpha used his other hand to slowly touch the omega's cock, to distract him from the intrusion of a third finger. It mostly worked, Gil tensed slightly when he first felt the digit, but went back to normal quickly.

Until that moment, there wasn't anything completely new about what they were doing. Gil was quite familiar with being fingered to oblivion by his boyfriend. But knowing that this was preparation to take his knot, did make a weird sensation go through Gil's body. Maybe it was just butterflies in his stomach?

Jay kept stretching his fingers inside, rubbing and making sure he was as ready as he could be. He was always attentive to his needs.   
They had to stop their kisses to breathe a little and Jay took the opportunity to say:  
"I think you feel stretched enough. And pretty wet too." He let Gil know. "But I need to make sure that's really what you want." And then took his fingers out, to let him think clearly before answering.

"I love you." Ok, Gil was _not_ planing on saying that, but it kind of slipped out of his lust-filled mind. "Both of you. And... I can't imagine anyone else that I'd trust enough to do this. To make me want this."

Jay recompensed him with his most genuine smile.  
"I love you two too. So fucking much." He said, pecking both of them on the lips right after.

"So do I." Carlos answering, blindly smile on his face.

"Anything I need to know? Something you really don't want me to do, or something you really like?" Jay asked, starting to rub his palm against Gil's hole, to keep him aroused and open while they talked.

"Just... go easy on me, o-okay?"He asked, not really knowing what to expect.  
"Of course, babe. I promise I'll make you as comfortable as I can." He said, giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek.

And Jay started positioning himself above Gil. Carlos, who was sitting beside them, gave his hand for the other omega to hold on to and they tangled their fingers in a sweet gesture.

"Just stay relaxed, ok? It makes everything easier." Jay said. "And don't forget that if you want to stop, at any moment, for any reason, you need to tell me, ok? All we want is for you to feel good and safe here."  
Gil nodded quickly, he already knew that. He trusted them to listen to him.

As Jay started positioning his dick against Gil's hole, something clicked on the omega's mind and he shamefully remembered something he had been told once and felt like it was important to let them know.   
"Wait!" He yelped, making Jay stop instantly. "I... well, sometimes... sometimes _they_ used to say that I got too sloppy. That they could barely feel... feel anything there, because I always got fucked so much that... that I got too loose to be really fun."

His cheeks burned from admitting this, but the worst thing was that he only remembered this now, at the last second. Goddamnit, he almost let Jay do it without letting him know the whole truth.   
It was one thing to vaguely know you were getting sloppy seconds, it was another thing to feel _exactly_ how sloppy they were.   
"So... hm... I'm sorry if it doesn't feel like much." Fuck, he could barely get the words out. "I can, I can clench around you, maybe? If that makes it feel better."  
Well, it was the least he could offer.

Jay was looking at him like he had just grown a second head.  
"Gil... I've had fingers inside you. I know you're pretty tight." He said, sounding really sure of that. "They were probably just trying to get into your head."

Well, it was a possibility. But still.  
"Just... tell me if you need a little bit more to get off, ok?" He insisted, suddenly deeply worried his body wasn't going to be enough to satisfy his partner.  
Jay still looked a little confused, but just nodded and went right back to business, positioning himself again.

Gil closed his eyes in anticipation, a little bit nervous about the new experience, even if he was sure about it.   
In matter of seconds, the omega felt a blunt pressure against his hole. Jay had one hand guiding his own cock in, while the other rested besides his boyfriend's head.

Jay started entering Gil slowly, and _ok,_ maybe the Alpha was right because it sure felt like a _very_ tight fit from the beginning.  
Gil clenched up a bit when he started feeling the quite uncomfortable burn of finally having something, so, so much thicker than three fingers inside him.   
"Babe... you n-need to let me in." Jay breathed out. "Fuck, so t-tight..."

Gil took a deep breath, only now noticing he had also hardened his grip on Carlos's hand because of the tension. He knew the only thing he needed to do was relax.   
Jay kissed him slowly, caressing his cheek to get his mind off of the insistent pressure he felt at the moment.

Slowly, his body started to loosen up enough to allow Jay to keep going. The burn was still there on a secondary level, though.   
They stop the kisses, but Jay continues touching his face in a loving manner, maintaining eye contact as he presses his hips foward as slow as possible. Gil could feel himself get flooded with the feeling of being loved and cared for.

Still, it felt like a lot. It was like he could feel _every single inch_ spreading him wider, making more way inside of him. It didn't hurt, but the stretch and the pressure weren't exactly awesome.

He could feel that Jay was straining himself to make sure he didn't speed up or scare Gil in any way. It was quite sweet.  
The omega winced once Jay bottomed out.  
"That's it, babe. It's all in, you're doing... so, so fucking good... "He managed to say.

And he just kept his hips in place, waiting for Gil to be comfortable enough so he could start moving.  
The omega breathed deeply, making sure to stay as calm as possible.   
"Relax, babe... Everything is fine." Carlos said, gently running his fingers through Gil's hair, which was very comforting and nice.

The burn fades away eventually, only leaving Gil with the sensation of being completely full.

Jay started moving his hips very slightly, only tiny thrusts to get Gil's body warmed up to having something moving inside it. Just enough friction for both of them to really feel something.

Gil started letting out small, drawn out moans, closing his eyes to properly allow himself to feel everything.   
"C'mon, babe, don't hold yourself back... "Jay said, and then started to lick and kiss his boyfriend's neck again, managing to make him moan a little louder.

The Alpha started getting bolder with his trusting, still slow but now deeper than before, getting almost halfway out before pushing in again, rhythm almost drowsy.

Gil tilted his head back, starting to get really, _really_ into it. He had known there must be a way that this could be pleasurable for an omega, since so many of them seemed to enjoy it, but he didn't know it could be _this_ good. He had been like this countless times, yet he didn't know what it felt like when it didn't hurt. And fuck, did it feel amazing.

"Harder, hmm... b-babe, harder." He pleaded, feeling good enough to want more, to ask for more. Jay was nothing but an obedient and attentive lover, starting to snap his hips faster.

"Like this, huh? Like it this much already, b-babe?" The slight crack at Jay's voice made him realize that the Alpha was just as affected as him. Gil only nodded frenetic at the question, or at least tried to do so. He was too lost in pleasure to be really sure.

The Alpha managed to aim the next thrust right against his sweet spot, and fuck, _that_ had Gil screaming out loud. Without even noticing, he started scratching his nails down his boyfriend's back, in an attempt to bring him even closer somehow.  
That makes Jay pick the pace up just a little more, balls smacking against Gil's ass cheeks by now.

Gil started arching his back in pleasure, moans and whines falling off his lips without his permission. Almost like he was going mad with how good he felt. He was genuinely impressed that he could enjoy being fucked this much.

He had half a mind to pay attention to the fact that Carlos' was hard again, and touching himself furiously, probably approaching what would be his second orgasm that day pretty soon. Fuck, that was  _hot._   
Actually, everything was hot, from the squelching sounds to the way the room smelled like sex.

"Babe... I'm g-getting... I'm getting close." Jay breathed out.   
He wrapped one of his hands around Gil's dick, speeding up the process of getting him off. The omega melted at the touch, loving to receive two different kinds of stimulation simultaneously.

Jay's movements on his dick were only slightly faster than his thrusts at that moment. It was breath-taking in a way that Gil thought that he could literally die from not getting enough air, but, if that was the case, he would die happily and in peace.

Jay's other hand was grabbing his hip in a tight grip, tight enough that most likely than not it would leave a mark, but Gil didn't care. No, that's not quite it.   
More like Gil would wear said mark with pride.

The Alpha's knot began to swell inside him, the added pressure and the firm strokes on Gil's dick made his body tingle all over, an astonishing wave of mind-wrecking pleasure washing over it as he spilled. His release dirtying both his boyfriend's hand and his own belly, as he moaned loudly.

But Jay's knot kept swelling, to the point of Gil being able to feel that burn again, but he was relaxed enough that it didn't hurt. The Alpha came in long spurts that Gil could feel clearly inside, flooding him, painting him, marking him up from the inside as Jay's.  
"Fuck, G-Gil... I l-love you, babe..."He rambled as he came. Damn, Jay did come a lot.

They were both high from the intensity of their orgasms. Well, actually all three of them, as Gil could see that Carlos' belly was even messier with cum than it was before.

It was hard to catch his breath, Gil thought, but it was even harder to believe he really got to have all of that.  
He had two amazing boyfriends who had waited patiently for him to feel ready to be knotted and then they were both amazing about it. It had been slow and loving, just like he craved, just like he dreamed. He never thought he would be lucky enough to be in this situation.

He was also so _so_ happy that he could enjoy this, that the old crew didn't take this from him. He was afraid he was too broken to properly experience being fucked again, that he was too traumatized to enjoy it, but it was so far from the truth.   
Jay had made him see stars and he was _delighted._

"Gil, are you ok? Am I hurting you? You know I can't exactly pull out but I-" Only at Jay's worried little freak out did Gil notice that he had a single tear running down his face.  
He couldn't let his boyfriend feel guilty over a happy tear.

"No, babe... I'm crying because I'm so happy. I'm happy I get to have this, I'm happy I can still enjoy it." He explained. "I'm happy to have you guys."  
Both of his boyfriends cooed, each of them kissing one of Gil's cheeks, sandwiching his face between that, which made him giggle.

"And we're happy to have you, love." Jay said.   
Gil knew that still had more than ten minutes before the knot went down and that it could be a little uncomfortable to stay put in the same position, but he didn't mind. He liked having Jay inside of him, on top of him, as Carlos gently played with his hair.   
He had never been happier in his life.

**MAL**   
"Ben! Open up!" She yelled, knocking on the door to Ben's office, knowing damn well he was going to be there overworking himself.

"We know you're there." Evie added, just in case he thought he could hide from them. He clearly couldn't.

It didn't take long for an extremely tired Ben, with dark bags under his eyes, to open the door, looking more like a zombie than anything. Just like they predicted.  
"Hey, girls." He greeted. "Is everything okay?"

"You aren't." Mal pointed out. "You've been working on damage control for this whole crazy paparazzi thing for hours! You said yourself that it's all under control now, why do you keep working on it?"  
All he did was blink slowly, trying to come up with a good answer.   
"Everyone is worried about you." Evie said.

"I'm sorry, guys. It's just... I'm the first single omega to reign, I feel like I have to prove myself somehow. And I don't want to let anyone down." He said, sighing loudly. "Besides, I wanna make sure no one sees Harry as the bad guy here, I need to know that people know the reporter is the one who started it all."

"Most people already do, Ben." Evie said. "And you know Harry doesn't care about that."

"But he cares about you. And so do we." Mal added. "So c'mon, get out of this office and go do something to distract your mind a little. I don't know, take a nap, watch a movie, go out with Harry..."   
"Making out is a good way to distract yourself and let off some tension." Evie said, sending Mal a strategic little wink.

Ben ended up laughing at this interaction.  
"You two are right. I need to stop stressing over this." He agreed. "And, by the way, how long has this been going on?" He made a vague gesture with his hands, indicating to the two of them.

Oh, yeah. They had never really announced to anyone they were... whatever the hell they were.  
Kissing Evie was the sort of thing that just happened naturally.   
"A few weeks after we called off the engagement, I think." Mal said, knowing Ben wasn't going to take offense or anything. "It just kind of happened."

Ben smiled, and she could see that, behind those tired eyes, there were a lot of affection and happiness for the two.   
"Couldn't think of a better fit." He said.

"You and Harry get pretty close." Evie said. "Although, that was pretty unexpected, to be honest."

"Yeah, I wasn't expecting it myself when I first started falling for him. We're pretty different, but we... work out perfectly, you know?" He said.  
Oh, Evil, that boy was so, _so_ gone for Harry Hook that it physically hurt to watch. Gil, Jay and Carlos are also this in love with each other, it was unnerving. What is it with this people? She and Evie liked each other very much, but they weren't _painful_ to watch.   
  
"You're so fucking in love it makes me wanna throw up." She said, making everyone laugh a bit. "Seriously, my teeth are getting rotten just from thinking about the sweetness of you two together."

"Talking about Harry, are you going to let him end all these worries of your or not?" Evie said, wiggling her eyebrows to show exactly what she meant by that.  
Ben, of course, blushed.  
"Not like that. But yeah... He is probably the only one who can take my mind off this right now."

Again, that boy was so, _so_ gone.  
But it was fine, as long as he didn't work himself to death Mal's work there was done.

**GIL**  
He felt like he was about to pass out at any minute.   
Gil was sitting on a restaurant he had never been before, waiting for his father to show up. But he was already ten minutes late, what if he gave up?

The omega didn't know which idea made him more anxious; Gaston showing up or Gaston not showing up. He was just overall nervous about the situation. Why did he even think that this was a good idea anyway?

Before he could over think this too much and run away, he heard a voice he hadn't listen since he was thirteen.    
"Son? Is that really you?" He turned his body to see his father standing behind him. "You've grown quite a lot."

He wanted to say something, but he physically couldn't. His mouth was open, but it wouldn't obey his brain's commands. Gil wasn't even sure what to think, he had no idea what to do now that this was actually happening.   
Luckily for him, Gaston just took the seat in front of Gil, deciding that he wouldn't wait for his son to answer.

"It's been a while since I last heard of you. You became a pirate, right?" He asked. "May not be as glorious and noble as hunting like your old man used to do, but it's quite a feat."   
Had Gil heard this right? Was this a compliment? Coming from his dad? That had _never_ happened before.

"Can you believe that they don't allow hunting for trophies anymore? I had so many plans for when they finally allowed me out of that horrendous Isle, but-" He started going off about himself already, which _good_ Gil was familiar with that. But still, there was something he needed to know first.

"So, does this, like... you being here and coming to see me, mean that you forgave me for being omega? You're not mad anymore?" He had to ask, after all that man had sat there and started talking as if everything was fine when it clearly wasn't.

The Alpha was quiet for a few seconds, looking like he was considering the question, like he had never considered that before.   
"I have to admit it wasn't what I wanted, what I deserved. Can you imagine what it felt like for an upstanding Alpha like me to find out his only child is an o'?" He said, and okay, that hurt a little bit. "But I let that get into my head at the time and didn't consider what really matters. You're my flesh and blood, after all. So I was thinking that we could leave that behind, if you agree."

Gil smiled at that, eyes getting shiny with hope. He had been waiting to hear that for the past four years of his life, of course he agreed.  
"Yeah, dad... I'd love that." He said.

Gaston smiled almost... sweetly? Gil wasn't sure.   
"So, how is life here in Auradon for you?" Gil asked, knowing how much his dad liked to talk about himself.

"Not as splendid as I thought it would be. I thought I'd find myself a castle like I always deserved, or at least the fanciest of houses. But I didn't make much back on the Isle and hunting isn't as celebrated as it used to be." He explained. "All I got was a meek little house in the village. I should get the best house in this country for all the years I spent on that nightmare."

"But it's still better than our old house, right?" Gil asked. Everything from Auradon was better.   
Gaston nodded, but didn't look too excited.   
"Anything would be better than that piece of junk we used to have." He answered. "But let's not dwell on the past too much."

All in all, they had a pretty good evening. His dad even paid for everything, as he said he would.  
Of course, he was still the same proud, self-centered man he had been when Gil last saw him. Sure, he spent the whole time talking about himself and didn't even ask how his son was doing. And yeah, he may not have apologized for all the hurtful things he said when he threw Gil on the streets.

But _still_ at least they made amends, right? Gil used to think that he was okay with what had happened, that he was over his father hating him, but he wasn't. It was still an open wound for him. And he really wanted to heal.

He couldn't accuse Gaston of not trying, right? The man had said he wanted to see Gil again soon, even inviting him to go to his house some day, to spend some quality father and son time or something.   
In the end, Gil found out that what he, and most VKs, wanted was to get the approval of the one person who was supposed to love him more than anything in this world.

However, there was also something heavy in his chest, like a warning. He knew it was unlike his father to be this kind, but he wanted to believe the man had changed. Many people did, why couldn't he?

So even if deep down, he thought that there was something strange going on, Gil decided that Gaston deserved a chance to show he became a better person and that Gil himself deserved the chance to be loved by a parent. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, read the notes at the beginning and PLEASE consider leaving a review. This kind of thing motivates me.


	13. You had me wrapped around your finger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gil, Ben and Carlos decide to hang out, Ben has some doubts, and Uma realizes something about her first mate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thank you so much for reading. This chapter is mostly cute, I think. Prepare for the fluff and enjoy! ♡  
> WARNINGS: the slighest mentions of bad parenting and sex being used as a coping mechanism.

**BEN**   
A few weeks had passed and Ben was glad he followed Mal and Evie's advice to stop overworking himself because of that whole media fiasco. Time took care of making the media harassment over the couple cool down and all of the vicious whispers about it had stopped. Just like he anticipated, people had forgotten about the drama completely.

traditionalists still weren't happy that he was dating someone like Harry, but Ben could definitely live with that.

He was glad the paparazzi didn't make a fuss over being fired, but it was probably only due to knowing he was lucky not to end up in jail. Well, small victories, right?   
Over all, things had taken a turn for the best.

At the moment, it was the end of the last class of the day and he and Gil were talking while walking towards their respective boyfriends.  
"You know what would be really cool? If we hang out outside of school sometime." Ben offered, excitedly. "You could ask Carlos too and we'd have an omega's night out."

Gil smiled at the idea, seeming just as excited.  
"That would be so cool! Before coming here I wasn't close to any omegas and like, as much as I can't live without Uma and Harry, it's nice to talk to people who are... like me, in a way, you know?" He tried to express himself.

"I get it. Me, Audrey and Jane used to have omegas nights out all the time." Ben said. "But it was pretty clear Audrey still had feelings for me back then, and things would get awkward pretty quick, so we kinda stopped doing that."

The whole situation was awkward. They had been kind of betrothed from a young age, but even thought they had gone to playdates, he didn't feel anything for her. So, when he presented and their parents broke off the deal, he didn't feel much over it.  
She, on the other hand, had loved him since she was very little so things were very weird for a while.

Well, things were even weirder when she casted a spell on the whole kingdom after he was almost sure she was already over him. But well, everyone has issues, right?   
At least now that the whole disaster was over, Ben was a lot more sure she was definitely over him now. Almost like she just needed to let loose like that to get it out of her system.

"If you want, we can invite them too." Gil said, but Ben could see he wasn't comfortable with the idea, instead just prompting it because he felt that his friend might want it.

He was still walking on eggshells around both Audrey and Chad after their invasive comments and questions about the VKs made him sad on their movie night turned party.  
Honestly, Ben couldn't really blame him, he knew those two could be quite inconvenient when they wanted to.

"No, I think it will be better if it's just the three of us." He said. "We could do it next weekend, what do you think?"  
"Yeah, it'd be great." Gil answering. "I'll talk to Carlos later today."

Before Ben could answer anything he saw that Harry was walking up to them, and he couldn't help but smile brightly at him. Harry offered one of his best crazy smiles in return.

"Hey, darling." The Alpha greeted, kissing his lips sweetly. "Hey, Gil. I think your boyfriends are waiting for you outside."  
His friend thanked him, waved them a quick goodbye and went to find his lovers.

"So... are you coming to the ship today, yer highness? I'm dying to get my hands on ya." Harry asked, whispering the last part in his ear.  
Ben could feel his cheeks getting heated, but he couldn't deny how tempting that was.

"Yeah, I'm going with you." He said. "But when you say get your hands on me..."

"Relax, I know you don't want to have sex. I'm not trying to convince you or anything." Harry promised. "I just wanna make out a little, huh? The moment you say stop, we stop."  
Ben knew that and he trusted Harry, but sometimes it was good to double-check. He wanted to make sure Harry didn't feel like he was being lead on.

Once they got to the ship, it didn't take long for Ben to find out Harry was extra excited that day, as he devoured his mouth even more enthusiastically than usual. He really seemed to be about to burst into flames at any moment.   
Well, Ben wasn't about to complain. All that fire was starting to ignite him too.

Harry was being quite rough with his hands, gripping the boy's hips so tight he was sure there would be bruises there later, but he was also being extremely gentle with his kisses, pace slow and sensual. Ben learned that he absolutely loved the contrast.   
As usual, he let Harry set the pace. The omega liked to hand over the control when it was just the two of them, since most of the time he had _all_ the control. Quite literally.

So, it was a relief when he could just be there and enjoy whatever rhythmic his boyfriend chose for them. He knew that if anything made him uncomfortable, all he needed to do was talk and Harry would listen.

Thankfully, Harry seemed to like taking the control as much as Ben liked giving it. Which was a lot, since he seemed delighted by every kiss he leaded. Ben felt like his mind was blank, completely empty of any thought that wasn't about Harry, his mouth or his hands. All it took for him to get like this was one kiss from the Alpha and he was completely gone.

And it didn't help it at all once Harry started kissing and then eventually sucking down his neck. Logically, Ben knew that, as a king, he couldn't be seen walking around with visible hickeys. But, well, it felt just so good and he wasn't above asking Mal, or maybe even Uma depending on how desperate he was, to cast a spell to hide away the marks later, as long as it meant he could get this feeling for a little longer.

The omega knew he was starting to get wet and he also knew Harry had been hard from the moment they started kissing. That normally would be the moment he called things off before they went too far, but... he was enjoying this _so_ much. They could keep going for a little while, right? It didn't mean he would lose control.

He let out somewhat of a moan when Harry sucked on an especially sensitive spot on his neck.  
"H-Harry... hm, so good..."He breathed out and he could _feel_ his boyfriend's grin against his skin. Then, the Alpha sucked on that spot even harder, making Ben actually whine in response.

Harry went back to kissing his mouth, tongue sliding in almost immediately as Ben accepted it eagerly. The Alpha's hand grabbed his ass firmly, but instead of stopping it Ben actually pressed back against them. The touch felt good and he couldn't help but want _more_ of it.  
Noticing that his boyfriend was eager to receive his touch Harry grabbed even harder.

Somehow Ben had ended up with his legs wrapped around Harry's waist but he had no memory of actually putting them there. He just took the opportunity to pull Harry's body even closer to him. He was lost in all those sensations and feelings, all these things he had never experienced before meeting the Alpha.

Ben noticed he had indeed lost control, when he realized they were _grinding_ against each other on the bed. His fuzzy mind took a while to process that fact, but once it did he shoved Harry away from him.  
Or more realistically, Harry let him shove him away.

"That... got way out of hand." Ben said, still breathing hard. His cheeks were painted pink both from arousal and the slight embarrassment he felt over the whole thing.    
Harry looked quite disheveled, like he wasn't even sure what to do now that the rush of sensations stopped. They had never had a make out this intense before.

Holy Goodness, Ben could feel how uncomfortably wet his underwear was.   
"I'm sorry, I should have stopped before things got like this." Ben said. "We're quite close to my heat, so that's probably why I was so..."

"Horny?" Harry supplied for him and he nodded shyly. "Yeah, I thought I felt your scent getting stronger."

It was easy to blame his heat for how he felt, but deep down Ben knew it wasn't just that. He needed to be careful, he was loosing control of the situation.  The truth was he never felt for anyone what he feels for Harry, he never wanted to be close to anyone the way he desperately needs to be close to Harry. He never loved anyone the way he loved Harry.

But he also loved the idea of giving himself, his body, to his mate, after his mating ceremony, his wedding. He loved the idea that during his first time, his Alpha would give him a mating bite that would tie their souls forever. That's both what he was taught he deserved, and what he honestly wanted for himself. Since he was old enough to understand what it meant, that was his romantic daydream for himself.

But... was that all it was? Just a silly daydream he needed get over? He would be eighteen later this year, he was almost a man, he had a whole kingdom to look for. Was it foolish to care about a detail like this? Yeah, it was tradition, but it was not like the traditionalists would know what goes on in his bed. So, maybe he should just get this whole fairytale idea out of his head and start living real life a little bit.

He honestly wasn't sure what to think. He had all these convictions for himself and his life, but he didn't know what to think of them now.

"You're spending it alone in the castle, rght? Since the herbs still aren't approved here and all." Harry asked, snaping him out of his thoughts.  
Right, they were talking about his heat.

"Yeah. There are still some tests the doctors need to make, but I'm sure it will be available in a few months." The omega answered. "I don't think I will want to take it, though."  
Harry frowned at that.  
"You actually like going through your heats?" He asked.

Ben made a face at that. He most definitely did not, thank you.   
"Of course not. But I'm used to them by now, and I think of them as a natural process that doesn't do a lot of good, but also doesn't harm. And I'd take that over putting chemicals I don't know inside my body, even if they come from herbs." He answered. "Not that I think the tea is bad or anything I just... prefer to stay with what I am used to, you know?"

He didn't want to sound like he didn't approve of the herbs, he knew how they were important for omegas back on the Isle. But, as irritating as they may be, heats were a natural thing that were kind of part of Ben's identity as an omega, you know?

They weren't comfortable, but Ben wasn't dying to get rid of them, he wasn't ashamed of them. He wasn't willing to put substances inside his body that would take them from him.

He wants the herbs to be approved so that all omegas could have the  _choice_ of going through the heats or not. The more autonomy omegas have over their own bodies, the better. But he had already made his personal decision.

"Do you think it's weird?" He asked, suddenly embarrassed wondering what his boyfriend may think about him wanting to experience heats.

When Harry answered, it seemed like he was reading his mind.  
"Of course not. It's your body, Ben, this is your choice." He said. "I have no right to judge you for something like that."

Ben smiled and got closer to him, intending on initiating a kiss, but got stopped by a hand on his shoulder.  
"We really shouldn't start over. I'm still up, we're gonna lose control again."  
The omega looked now down and, yep, it was pretty clear his boyfriend was still hard under his pants.

"Oh, Goodness. Go take a cold shower, love." He said, and then realized Harry got tense at the nickname. "Hey, I told you I don't expect you to say anything back."  
That made the boy go back to the relaxed state he was in, before getting up and directing himself to the bathroom.

Ben groaned as soon as he was left alone. His underwear was still uncomfortably wet against his skin and his mind full of doubt.   
It was not that he thought that he _needed_ to have sex with Harry. Ben had enough self-respect to know that anyone who would pressure him into having sex instead of waiting for him to be ready wasn't worth of him. So, he knew Harry would never be like that.

But the closer he got to his boyfriend, the closer he wanted to be. Maybe, he was being childish over that whole thing, maybe it didn't have to be as special as he wanted. Again, sometimes he felt like all these thoughts and plans were all foolishness.

Was he being too close-minded? Was he being inadequate somehow? He knew many people from Auradon, most of his friends included, didn't follow the tradition, didn't even care about it. Why did he want something that was so outdated?

At the same time, he could practically see himself deciding to just do it and then regretting it right after. He had a plan, maybe a dream if you could call it that, and he knew if he gave up on that based on the heat of the moment, he wouldn't be happy about it later.    
He dreamed of his mate helping him taking off the mating ceremony clothes, and seeing his body bare for the first time, considering it a present. The idea was exciting, the idea was something he wanted to follow through. But maybe he just... shouldn't want it.

He was confused, ok? Pretty confused and also uncomfortable.   
He spent so long debating with himself what he should do, that it didn't take long for Harry to come back into the room, shirtless and with his hair dripping wet. What a sight, huh?

"Feeling better?" Ben asked, to which his boyfriend nodded, seeming way more refreshed.  
"You want to watch a movie or something?" Harry offered.

The king thought about agreeing, but he had a quite awkward situation with all the now dried slick in his underwear, which he hoped didn't also stain his pants.   
So yeah, it was probably best if he went home, took a bubble bath and put things in perspective.   
"Not really. I think I'll go home." He answered.

"Let me just put a shirt on and I'll take you there, yer highness." Harry said, already opening a drawer to get a clean shirt.

Ben got up from the bed and both of them exited the bedroom, coming face to face with both Gil and Uma who were watching something on the tv.  
"Are my senses deceiving me or is that our sweet Ben reeking of Harry _and_ of slick, leaving this ship with hickeys you could see from two miles away?" Of course, Uma felt the need to tease.

Ben became flustered quickly, his whole body burning with embarrassment. Harry didn't seem as affected, of course, since all he did was snort.   
"Uma! He's embarrassed!" Gil tried to defend his friend, looking rather scandalized over Uma's words.

"Sorry, Ben, but that's not really the image we have of you. It's just too funny to resist messing with you 'cause of it." She explained.

Still blushing, he answered:  
"Yeah, I didn't thing I'd ever be doing this kind of thing either. But then..." _I met Harry_ was left unspoken, but everyone understood what he meant.

This time, the girl looked at Harry straight in the eyes before talking.  
"Evil, you have him in the palm of your hands, don't you?" She teased.  
Harry looked _so_ smug as he answered.

"I do. But it's fine." He said. "'Cause I'm also wrapped around his finger."  
Call Ben a cliché romantic if you want, but _oh_ did this make him feel butterflies flying all around.

**GIL**   
It was late in the evening and he had decided to spend the night with his boyfriends. He wasn't in the mood to do anything other than cuddling, but he had reached a point in which he was comfortable enough to tell his boyfriends that and be completely sure they would be 100% fine with it.

So he was currently, laying with his head on Jay's shoulder as the Alpha hugged Carlos with his other arm. There was something going on on the tv, but Gil didn't care much.   
He was just enjoying their little bubble of affection. He just loved his boyfriends _so_ much.

They were just lazing around there when Gil suddenly remembered what he and Ben had been talking about earlier.  
"Hey, 'Los."He called, making his boyfriend raise his head slightly so he could see him. "Ben and I were talking about organizing an omega's night out during the weekend, just the three of us. What do you think?"

Carlos seemed rather surprised by that.   
"Yeah, sure. I mean, Ben and I haven't properly hang out in ages, I miss him. I guess it'll be fun." He answered. "I never had an omega's night out, but it seems fun in movies and all."

"Me neither. But Ben says he used to do it all the time." Gil said.

"Wait a minute." Jay piped in. "Are you two planing on ditching me this weekend, while I'm right here?" He faked an exasperated gasp, looking like he felt betrayed. Both omegas just had to giggle at that.

"C'mon, babe, you could go hangout with Mal or something." Carlos suggested.   
Jay snorted.  
"We all know Mal and Evie spend all their weekends with their room's door locked and an anti-sound spell to spare our ears of their fucking." The Alpha complained.

"Well, you could ask Harry and Uma?" Gil offered, but Jay made a face and threw a pillow at him. The omega laughed, but insisted. "Oh, c'mon. I heard you two got closer when we had that party on the castle."

Jay rolled his eyes.   
"Yeah, but we won't become best friends suddenly." He explained. "Baby steps, you know?"  
Yeah, Gil supposed he was right.

"Hey, you could call Lonnie to have a fencing match." Carlos suggested. "We all know you're still sour over losing to her like, five times in a row or something."  
Jay groaned at being reminded of that.   
"You know, that's not a _terrible_ idea." He admitted. "I mean, no doubt I'm gonna get my ass kicked, but at least I'll have fun."

"It's going to be great for you." Gil told him.   
"Besides..." Carlos said, getting closer to the Alpha's ear and whispering rather seductively."You'll come back all pumped up from the fight and we'll come back missing you so much."  
Jay licked his lips, suddenly much happier about this whole thing.

"I'm starting to really enjoy this idea of yours."He said.   
"It was Ben's idea." Gil reminded. "Oh, and talking about going out, I'm meeting my father again tomorrow."

The whole atmosphere in the dorm changed quickly. Gil sighed, knowing that things always got like that when he brought up Gaston.   
"Already?" Jay asked, clearly not liking what he heard.

"It's been weeks since we reunited. He invited me to go see his house here in Auradon." He explained.  
They tried not to tell him they hated the idea, but their expression didn't allow them to hide much.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Jay asked, being the most sceptical of the two. He himself never forgave his father, so he had a hard time knowing Carlos was off to visit Cruella or Gil wanted to meet Gaston.   
Honestly, Gil couldn't blame him. He was well aware of who their parents were. 

But he wanted to believe his father had changed. He _needed_ to.  
"C'mon, he isn't a danger to me. He never really hurt me on the Isle, well, not too much, at least. What is he going to do, disown me again?" Gil said.

Neither of them replied, but then again, he couldn't blame them. Gil _knew_ he was putting himself in a vulnerable position. Whenever Carlos saw Cruella he had the whole hospital staff to protect him if she went crazy and wanted to hurt him.   
Gil would have none of that.

But he'd do it as a gesture of good will. He couldn't exactly tell his father 'hello, dad. My boyfriends are freaking out, you know, afraid you'll beat me up over me being omega and all that. So... how about we hit the movies or somewhere else that is public and in plain sight of everyone?' Yeah, that was _not happening_. If he wanted to have a good, healthy relationship with his father he needed to trust him.

"I just have a bad feeling about this whole thing." Jay said, sounding worried.

"You have a bad feeling about anything that involves any of our parents." Gil said and that made Jay breathe out a little laugh.  
"Yeah, I suppose so." He said. "Well, I hope you have a good time. And if you need anything just tell us."

Gil couldn't say he wasn't at least trying to be supportive.   
"I will, don't worry." The omega assured, pecking Jay's lips lightly.

"I'm sure things will be fine." Carlos added. "But, in case they aren't, you know we're here for you, right?"  
Instead of answering, he kissed Carlos too, just as lightly.

Yeah, he absolutely knew they were there for him.

**UMA**  
She wouldn't be herself if she wasn't teasing Harry for his relationship.   
Just a few minutes after he came back from leaving Ben in the castle, she started messing with him. What could she say? It's just too much fun for her to resist.

"You know, I'd never thought I'd live to see you being and _admitting_ to be wrapped around someone's finger like that." Uma said. "I'm quite impressed."  
Harry rolled his eyes, but sounded pretty serious when he answered:  
"I guess he really did change me. I couldn't imagine doing that with anyone else."

She smiled, happy her friend had found someone like that.  
"Don't worry, I bet he's changed for you too." Uma said. "I mean, I can't imagine that Mr. I'm-the-purest-soul was used to spend all that time in someone else's bed before meeting you."  
She winked wickedly at him, but instead of laughing he shook his head.

"It's not what you think. Things are not like that between us." He said. "He doesn't want it and I respect that." Uma was shocked, she could barely convince herself she had heard that right.

"You mean what I think you do?" She asked and Harry nodded. " _No way._ Harry, he's always leaving here looking like you fucked his brain off."

"We just make out a lot. And, well, it's quite intense." He answered. "But he made a vow to only have sex after he has a... mating ceremony or some Auradonian shit like that. So... yeah, we don't fuck."

Many people on the Isle slept around, it was used as an coping mechanism more often than not. Uma knew how many Alphas, and even betas, there were considered 'players'.   
But _Harry?_ He wouldn't last a day without sex when they still lived there. Uma had seen countless omegas and betas leaving his room in the ship, she had banged on his door rather furiously when he was being too loud with partners.   
There was no way he could give up on that, unless...

"You love him." She realized. "You really love him, fairytale style, true love and all."  
Her first mate looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"What? Why would you say that?" He tried, but she knew not even Harry thought that was covincing.  


"Not only you wanted to be tied down in a relationship, but you accepted to be in a sexless relationship. And you don't even seem desperate about it." She explained. "The only explanation is that you love Ben."   
All Harry did was groan in retaliation and blush, honest to God,  _blush._

"Honestly, I don't know why I am so surprised. The way you two are around each other... "She trailed off, thinking about how they behaved when together.

"It's not... I mean, I don't... not really... _ugh_." He got nowhere with his half-sentences, obviously not knowing how to express himself.  
Out of the three of them, Harry had always been the one who had the hardest time with these things.

"You don't have to admit it if you don't want to." She assured. "But I bet Ben would be glad if you did."

Uma ended the subject at that, knowing when to back off not to make her friend too uncomfortable.  
But she was glad with her discoveries of the day.  
Harry deserved that, he deserved to feel love and all the other good things in life. Auradon was really the place for them to start over, wasn't it? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is the least angsty chapter this fic will ever have.  
> Don't forget to leave a comment if you liked it. More coming soon♡


	14. We made these memories for ourselves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gil sees his father again, Gil, Carlos and Ben have their omegas night out and Carlos thinks about the past.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I purposefully let a bigger stretch of time between the previous chapter and this one, 'cause I fet like I wasn't giving you guys enough time to comment, leave a review and maybe even read peacefully. Don't think it really worked, tho. What do you prefer?   
> Anyway, Enjoy! ♡  
> WARNINGS: 'sexist' language, references to a bad childhood and child neglect, discussions about virginity, SEMI-GRAPHIC description of attempted rape (and injuries caused by it), smut.

**GIL**  
He knocked softly on the door, feeling suddenly nervous. Still not as nervous as a few weeks ago when he had first met his father after all that time, but still nervous.   
He was in front of his father's house, still unsure about the whole thing.

He looked around as he waited for the door to be opened. It was more like a cabin than anything, nothing big but it seemed to be cozy. All made of wood except for a stone chimney.  
It was so much better than anything they could ever dream to have on the Island. He couldn't imagine why his father would complain about it.

No, actually he could. His dad was never happy about anything unless it was the best of the best. Gaston accepted nothing but the greatest things for himself.

Gil startled a bit once the door was opened.  
"Come on in, son." Gaston greeted, seeming excited.   
The boy entered the house slowly, a little unsure of himself.   
"Thanks, dad." He said. "Hm, the porch is lovely."  
Gil wasn't quite sure what to say, but he knew compliments were always the right way to deal with his dad.

The man lighted up when he heard that.  
"Oh, the porch was a completely mess when I got the house. I had to rebuild most of it." He said. "And well, of course I was very efficient at that. Just like at everything else."  
Yeah, exactly like Gil remembered.

"No one's slick as Gaston, right?" The boy said. Obviously, that made the man stick his chin even higher up.

The cabin looked cozy on the inside as well, to a point where Gil was pretty sure his father had bought this house furnished. Gaston didn't care whether or not the room seemed warm and comfortable, he wanted the most expensive and envy indulcing things.

"I'm glad you could come over today, son. I have no one else to talk to now." His father said. Well, it meant he missed Gil in a way, right?  
Not knowing what to say to that, he changed the subject.  
"So... I thought that since you paid for dinner last time, I could make you dinner this time." Gil offered.

His father raised his eyebrows at that, seeming impressed. Instead of answering he nodded and showed his son where the kitchen was.   
He showed him around, where to get what he would need and such.

"You hated having to cook for us when you were younger." His father commented, as he watched the boy work.  
Gaston didn't like to cook, at all. He always thought someone like him shouldn't need to, he should be serviced. So, since Gil was 9 he started to learn to cook when his father wouldn't.

"I never said I didn't like it." He answered. "I just... didn't like that whatever I made was never good enough and you'd always complain about it. Sometimes you'd yell at me too." It wasn't that he disliked to cook, he just didn't want to be yelled at. Gaston just shrugged, not really caring all that much.

Gil started to gather things to make the best meal he could muster. He knew his father only accepted the best of the best.   
Soon, the man started talking about himself and the details of the previous few years of his life, as always, making the focus of the situation fall to him.

"Life in Auradon is less glamorous than I'd think." He said. "I mean, I can fix the porch all I want, but it won't make this cabin into the fancy house I deserve."  
Yeah, again with that awkward talk about him deserving better.

"Maybe you just need to wait a few years or maybe months to get more money and buy a better house..." Gil offered, as he mixed the ingredients he needed to make a spaghetti.

"Someone like me shouldn't have to wait." His teeth were gritted as he answered, so the boy wisely decided not to say anything.    
They went back to complete silent after that and it was a rather uncomfortable one. It was bound to happen sometimes, right? They had been away from each other for years.

So, he just concentrated on making the food, trying his best to succeed. He always thought he was a decent cook, but his father wasn't pleased unless everything was perfect. 

"You've been living in the Auradon Prep's dorms, then?" Gaston suddenly asked, which was weird for someone like him. He didn't care what people were up to unless he was involved.   
"No, they allowed Uma to leave her ship on the pier. I live there with her and Harry." He answered.

"Oh, yeah, right. I forgot you were running around with Ursula's and Hook's spawns." The man answered, and Gil didn't liked the disdain in his voice when he talked about his friends.  
"They're my crew. I wouldn't have survived the Isle without them." He said, firmly.

Gaston raised his hands in a sign of defeat, as if he meant no harm by his words.   
"And all the time you don't spend at school you're on the ship?" He asked.  
Gil shrugged, before answering:  
"I guess? There's also tourney practice and my boyfriends' dorm."

His father frowned at him.   
"They allow omegas at tourney?" He asked and the boy nodded. "That's... interesting."  
Gil knew that by 'interesting' his father meant weird, but at least he didn't say that out loud.

"Here, the food is ready. I made spaghetti." He announced, getting the plates before his father kept asking him strange questions. What if he asked about his relationship? Of course, Gil wasn't ashamed of his boyfriends or anything, but Gaston would throw a fit if he found out his son was dating two people, one of them being another omega.

They took the food to a small wooden table in the middle of the room and started to eat.   
"Son, that's actually pretty good. You've improved a lot." Gaston said and his son couldn't help but beam at the compliment.

"I used to cook all the time for Uma, Harry and the other pirates." He explained. "Still do it a lot for the two of them."  
His father snorted at the explanation.  
"Only omega in the group, right?" He said. Gil blushed a little, slightly embarrassed by that.

"It wasn't like that, dad." He defended himself. He was a decent pirate, right? He wasn't kept just because they needed someone to do 'omega's work' or some shit like that.

"Yeah, sure, son. I bet it wasn't like that." By the laugh he let out after that, it was pretty clear he didn't believe in a single word he said.

But it really _wasn't_ _._ Ursula's restaurant wasn't cheap and she wouldn't give discounts, not even to her own daughter. So the crew couldn't eat there all the time, they needed to make their own food.  
Harry was a complete disaster in the kitchen. He'd manage to burn water if you let him. Uma was so caught up with everything that came with being captain, she had no time to even think about cooking for the crew.

And the other pirates weren't exactly fix. Many kids would try to be pirates and see they weren't tough enough or wanted an easy way to make coin, only to find out being a pirate was anything but easy. These and many other things, made so that Uma only really trusted Harry and Gil, she knew they were constant and would give up on anything to be by her side. And she'd never allow someone she didn't trust to feed her crew, what if they poisoned them? A good captain couldn't risk that.

Even if he knew the truth, he couldn't help but feel uneasy at the implication.  
Actually, that's the word that explained the whole evening: _uneasy._ Every little comment Gaston would make, had its way to get into his skin. But Gil wasn't really worried, he was sure things would get better soon. His father just needed to get rid of some old views and he just needed to be patient. Things would get better eventually, right?

After all, family takes a lot of work. He can't just expect things to magically fix themselves. All he could do was wait...

Afewdayslater  
 **BEN**  
The weekend arrived and with that the omega's night out that he, Gil and Carlos had planned.  
They decided to meet in the castle movie room to watch some tv and talk a little. Oh, and also eat lots of popcorn and candy.

There was some romantic comedy on, one of Ben's favorite ones actually, but he couldn't focus enough to enjoy it. It wasn't that he didn't want to hang out with his friends, but his mind kept wandering even though he didn't allow it to.   
He was just so focused on his little situation with Harry...

Things got steamier every single day and he couldn't help but wonder whether it was silly and maybe even immature of him to want to keep his vow. The only person he would let down would be himself, and maybe the pleasure of the moment would outweight that.

Besides, what if he _never_ gets mated? Yeah, he loved Harry and could definitely picture being his mate, but he knew it was possible that the Alpha wouldn't want that. Not only mating, but especially having a mating ceremony, was something very Auradonian to do.   
And if there was already pressure caused by being the King's boyfriend, imagine being the _King's Alpha._

Before he could spiral even more, something took his attention, Gil had gotten up and was turning the TV off.   
"Why'd you do that?" Ben asked, a little bit confused.

"Well, the movie was boring as hell." Gil answered, making his boyfriend agree:  
"Ugh, thank Evil I wasn't the only one." He complained.

"But it wasn't just that. You look off, like you're worried somehow." Gil explained. "Is something bothering you?"  
Ben sighed, realizing his friend got so close to him the last few months that there was no way he could hide what he was feeling from him.

"Yeah, I'm just... thinking about something." He said, cheeks heating a bit. "It's actually something about Harry."  
Both his friends just raised their eyebrows at him and waited for him to go on.

"It's... it's kinda embarrassing. Actually, it's a lot. I just... don't know if it's the right time to, hm, you know, do it... with him." His cheeks could probably catch fire by now. "I don't know if I want to, I don't know if I should. When did you guys know it was the right time to...?"  
He trailed off, but knew his friends got the idea.

Both of them seemed rather surprised, clearly not thinking that conversation would take that turn. Ben wasn't one to randomly start conversations about sex. In fact, he avoided them like the plague.

"I certainly wasn't expecting that." Carlos commented.

"Well, the first time I _chose_ to do something like that, wasn't long ago." Gil said and Ben could feel his heart hurting from the implication.

"And how could you be sure that's what you wanted?" He asked. "I mean, every time I kiss Harry lately I've debating against myself whether I want to do anything."

"I just... I love them so much. I knew I could trust Jay and Carlos with my life. And one day we were fooling around and I realized how safe and warm and loved I feel when I'm with them. And also how I wanted to let them show me new things and just... Let Jay make me feel good and make him feel good too. " Gil explained. "So, I told them I wanted to do it. We did it and I loved it."

"That's so sweet, babe." Carlos told him, and then gave him a sweet little kiss.

Okay, that all made a lot of sense. Ben supposed that was a lot like how he felt for Harry. The Alpha made him feel safe and warm every single second they spend together.   
"And you don't... regret doing it, right?" Ben asked. "'Cause I wanted to wait until I'm mated and married, but now I'm not so sure anymore."

"I don't regret it at all, it was the perfect time to do it." Gil told him. "I wouldn't want to wait even a second more."  
Maybe Ben should just do it already. His friend had all reasons in the word to not want to do it at all and says there's no reason for regret, which means he would be just fine. Right?

"So... you think I should do it?" Ben asked. Gil threw his hands in the air in a kind of 'not guilty' gesture.

"Hey, I never said that. I can't tell you how to feel." He clarified. "I'm just saying that _I_ am glad _I_ did it and I don't regret the timing or anything."  
The conversation was making the king more nervous and confused, he could feel himself sweating even though it was chilly in the room.

"I don't know... maybe, if it was the best for you, it will be the best for me too." Ben tried to explain. "What about you Carlos?"  
Carlos made a face, like he was trying to remember things from long ago.

"Well, my first time was with Jay, right after we started dating." The boy said and Ben tried not to show on his face how appalling the thought of doing it as young as he knew Carlos had been at the time was. "We pretty much rushed into everything, because I was just _so_ scared someone would take it from me before him, you know? An Alpha... had tried to do it just the day before, but Jay managed to save me last-minute."

Oh God, every new information about the Isle made Ben feel sick. How could Auradon let this happen to innocent people all that time and then call themselves the good guys? He feels guilty, but he is also glad he put a stop to that nightmare of a place.

They could tell Carlos was becoming affected by the story, so Gil held his hand as a gesture of comfort.   
"I really wanted to give my virginity to Jay and I was fucking terrified of someone else stealing that from us. So I decided to do it as soon as we had the opportunity to do so."

"Do you...do you regret that?" Ben asked, rather hesitantly.  
Carlos shook his head.

"Not even for a second. Yeah, it was pretty awkward and I was very young, but it was the smartest choice at the time and place. It was something that made me feel better, even though I knew that I'd be in danger as long as I was on that fucking place." He explained. "But if I was somewhere else, if I had been raised in a safe environment, if I had the time to even think about being safe from other Alphas... I think I would have waited a bit, you know? Just to not do it in a rush. But it doesn't mean I regret doing it."

Ben could hear the 'If I had been raised in Auradon...' behind his words. And he was right: while Carlos and Gil spent the last few years running from Alphas and from the possibility of being raped, Ben had spent his whole life without even thinking about something like that happening to him.

"So you think I should wait?" He asked and Carlos did the exact same gesture Gil had made earlier.

"We can't tell you what to do, man." Carlos said. "But I think you already know what you want. You're just wanting us to confirm it."

Well, he had a point. Deep down, Ben already knew what he wanted, what he had always wanted. He just... got a little carried away.

"I think... I think you're right." He said, still a little hesitant.

"Then do whatever your heart is telling you to do." Carlos advised. "My experience is different from Gil's and yours will be different from his. The only person you need to convince here is you."  
Goodness, he was really a smart one.

"Yeah, Ben. Harry will be fine with whatever decision you make, I'm sure of that." Gil added. "All you need is to listen to yourself now."

They were both right and realizing that made him feel more relaxed instantly. He had always wanted the same thing for himself and there was no reason to change that.  
Yeah, he loved Harry and wanted to be close to him, but that didn't change how he felt about his first time. He wanted to be cherished and he wanted to do it with his mate, has always wanted that, he wasn't silly for wanting something special for himself and his future mate.

Having a boyfriend might have clouded his mind a little, with all the hot touches and everything, but things are clear now.   
He listened to his heart and it was telling him two things only: 1- He should have the special moment with his mate after the mating ceremony, as he always dreamed.   
2- He wanted Harry to be that mate.

Well, the second one wasn't really up to him, but he had hope that things could work out that way. Maybe they wouldn't, maybe Harry would never ask him to be his mate, but all he could do was wait and be hopeful. He had to leave it to destiny.

"Thank you, guys. I really needed to hear that." Ben said. "I'm sure of what I want now."  
They both smiled and got closer, giving the king a group hug.

"I have something to ask." Gil said and Ben nodded. "You keep talking about this mating ceremony and I heard others talking about it too... but I'm not really sure what it means? People didn't have those back on the Isle. I mean I know what mating is, of course, and I can imagine the ceremony it's either a party or a ritual for people in Auradon, but what happens exactly?"

Oh right, another cultural difference he hadn't exactly thought about. But it was fine, Ben _loved_ to talk about this ceremony. He had always dreamed about it, when he was around 8 or 9 and hadn't presented yet he would hope with everything he had that he'd be either Alpha or omega, because betas didn't have mating ceremonies.

"It's like a wedding, but only for Alpha/omega couples. And there are lots of traditions and specific things about it, like the omega wears a kind of all white tunic that represents purity, hope and goodness while the Alpha wears dark red clothing that symbolizes grandiosity and passion." He quickly got carried away in his explanation. "Sorry, I just really like the idea.There's a bunch of small traditions about it."

"We can see it. But don't worry, you'll get that someday." Gil assured.

"Yeah... I certainly hope so." Ben said, knowing that he had a dreamy look on his face, but he couldn't help it. "What about you guys? Is that something you'd be interested in the future?"  
They both wrinkled their noses at the question, obviously not having thought about it ever before. They barely knew what it meant a couple of minutes ago.

"Not really? I mean, I want to get mated, but just the bite would be enough. I don't feel like I need a big ceremony or something." Carlos said. "I mean, if Jay told me he wanted something like that, I wouldn't be opposed. But I don't feel like it would important for me."

"Well, I just... never thought I'd be lucky enough to have someone who might want to mate with me." Gil said. "I'd be be honored if Jay ever wants to have that with me, I wouldn't care about a party and traditions."  
He thinks so lowly of himself that it hurt to watch or hear.

"Hey, c'mon, you're amazing." Ben assured. "Jay is lucky to have you both."

**CARLOS**  
Their talk about first times had left him feeling pretty nostalgic. Life was hard back on the Isle, everyone had it rough, but it didn't mean there weren't some good moments here and there.   
Yeah, most of them were the calm before the storm or, at least, a moment of relief after the storm had already passed.

His first time with Jay was a little bit of a bittersweet moment, but he liked to think it was sweeter than it was bitter. It was sad that he was in a situation in which he needed to do it fast, afraid someone might take it for him, but he was glad he had the opportunity to share this moment with someone he loved.    
Many omegas from the Isle didn't have the same opportunity.

His mind spent most of what was left of the evening reminiscing the events of almost four years ago.

🦴🐍

It was night-time and Carlos was pacing around in his three house, waiting for Jay to get there.   
He had what he wanted in mind and, as long as his boyfriend agreed, he was getting it that night.

Carlos' face and his ribs still hurt from when an Alpha had tried to fuck him the day before.   
He had been walking up to Jafar's shop, where he was supposed to meet Jay. His boyfriend didn't like when he walked around by himself, but Carlos had promised everything would be fine.

_It wasn't._ He was so fucking close to his destination, he could see the goddamn shop already, when some perv attacked him from behind. He had trashed, clawed and screamed at the Alpha, but the guy was stronger and older than him. Not that much older, he seemed to be about fifteen or sixteen, but Carlos was already small for his age, so the difference seemed bigger.

The guy was violent and quick and had managed to tear Carlos' shirt apart and had already pulled the boy's short down, when Jay showed up. Apparently, the omega screamed so much he had heard it inside the shop. Of course, Jay beat the shit out of that other Alpha, until the guy was a bloody mess on the floor.   
Carlos wasn't a fan of violence, but he just sat there and cried as he watched Jay use his fists. He felt no pity, that bastard deserved it.

All in all, the stranger never got what he wanted and the attack left Carlos' with a nasty cut close to his lips, a big bruise on the side of his body, a black eye and hand-shaped bruises on his waist.   
His body had seen way worst days, but his spirit hadn't.

"Hey, 'Los." Jay climbed into the treehouse, stopping Carlos' train of thoughts immediately. "How you're feeling?"  
Carlos shrugged.   
"Better, I guess. It hurts a lot less than it did yesterday." He answered. "I wanna.. I wanna ask you something."

Jay touched his cheek gently, eyes soft and attentive at him.   
"Anything you want, babe."

Ok, De vil, now or never.   
"I want to have sex with you." He said, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding. Jay blinked slowly at him.

"You mean today?" The Alpha asked and the boy nodded

"I mean right now." He said.   
Jay seemed a little conflicted at his words.

"I'm not opposed to that... like at all. I'd be lying if I said I haven't been thinking about fucking you since we presented." He said and Carlos snorted at his words. "But I thought you wouldn't want that so soon after that son of a bitch tried to touch you."

"That's exactly why we need to do it as soon as possible." The omega explained. "I know virginity isn't supposed to be a big deal and all, but I really want to lose my v-card to you and not to some sick perv out there."

Jay frowned.  
"So you're only doing it 'cause you're afraid someone might try to take you first?" He asked. "Hey, this won't happen. I won't let anyone even try again." But the omega shook his head, determined.

"I was lucky to be attacked close to the shop. Next time I could be too far for you to hear me, to save me." Carlos said. "There's no way you can know."

"Alright, then you're never leaving your house alone again." His boyfriend guaranteed, as if it was really that easy.

"Yeah? You'll be with me every single time I'm outside, ever?" He asked, rather sarcastically.  
"Well, me and Mal could share the task. She's worried sick about you, you know?" Jay explained, but it still didn't make sense to him.

"Even then, Jay. Someone could take me in the second you look in the other direction, or one of my mother's henchman could attack me or even someone at school if we're not sharing the same class." He insisted. "I'm thankful you want to protect me, but if something ever goes wrong, I wanna know at least you had me first."

He was almost crying by then, but years living in a place where tears were weakness, and being weak made you a target, made him able to hold back.

"If you don't want to, I'll understand. If you do..." He said, getting closer to his lover. "Then, please, have sex with me."

Jay slowly nodded before closing the already small space between them with a kiss. It was gentle and warm, a lot less rough than usual.   
But soon he added his tongue in, and Carlos melted. They had been dating for a little over a week, and the omega wondered if he would ever get used to how amazing it felt to kiss his boyfriend.

"I'll make it as good as I can, ok?" Jay claimed in the softest tone Carlos had ever heard him speak.   
He knew Jay had more experience than him, had hooked up with a handful of people before they started dating. Most people on the Isle started early, and Jay was almost two years older than him.

Besides, the boy wasn't afraid to use flirting and sometimes even making out and sex to distract people and steal from them. The last two parts, of course, had stopped once he started dating Carlos.

They went back to making out, and until that point, they were both familiar with what was happening.   
Jay rested one hand on Carlos' face while he had the other one pressed against the boy's waist.

Soon Jay stopped to take off his own shirt and help Carlos do the same. That also wasn't anything new, they had made out shirtless before. But at the same time, it was different this time, knowing how that was going to end.  
The Alpha started sucking on his neck soon after that, having the obvious intention to leave him with dark hickeys. Carlos wouldn't even try to hide those.

"Gonna mark you up, babe." Jay promised. _"_ _So, everyone will know you're mine."_  
He let his Alpha voice slip a little in his sentence, and Carlos whined loudly in response. Hearing this made his inner omega come out, so he tilted his head back, exposing his neck for his Alpha.

Jay shook his head.   
"Sorry, didn't mean to use the voice." He said, probably worried he has made the younger boy uncomfortable. Truth be told, they were still learning how to deal with their instincts.

"No, it's fine. I think it's hot." He clarified. "Just don't use it to boss me around and it's all good."  
That made Jay lick his lips in anticipation, as he dove back towards the boy's neck ready to suck, lick and nibble on it again.

Carlos was quickly learning Jay enjoyed to mark him. He had noted that on other make out sessions, but that day it became really clear. The Alpha sucked on his neck and collar bones and then pulled away slightly to see his work.   
Carlos wasn't sure whether Jay liked how easily his pale skin would bruise or his possessive side wanted to see the boy wearing his marks.   
The omega, of course, melted at every touch.   
  
"We should... we should lay on the blankets." Carlos managed to let out, pointing to the fluff blankets Evie had once gave him, since Cruella couldn't be bothered to care if her son was uncomfortable or maybe cold.   
That's why he kept them in the treehouse, afraid his mother would take them from him if she ever saw.

Jay let go of his neck and Carlos laid on the blankets, the Alpha covering the smaller body with his own.   
Carlos had always been tiny when compared to him, but at that age the discrepancy was even clearer.

Jay must have been satisfied with his work on Carlos' skin, because he went back to devouring his mouth. This time his hands wandered all over his boyfriend's body, leaving his hot touch there.   
Which was good until he applied a little to much pressure on the boy's injured ribs, making him wince.

"Sorry, sorry. I forgot." He apologized, looking at the nasty bruise like he had almost forgot about it and it had personally offended him.

"It's fine." Carlos promised, but they both knew he was lying. The bruise hurt more emotionally than physically.

"I should have killed that son of a bitch." Jay said, looking at the big dark purple spot with rage. "I should have beaten him even more, I should have choked him, I don't know."

"Hey, you can't think like that, ok? You saved me, he didn't manage to do what he wanted to do to me and you taught him a lesson. That's enough for me." Carlos insisted. "Now, come here and kiss me."  
Jay did so gladly. Now his touches were lighter, like he was afraid of accidental touching a bruise he didn't realize was there.

Then he moved his hands to the waistband of Carlos' shorts and pulled away from the kiss to look in his eyes, which worked basically like a 'can I?'. Carlos nodded, but gulped a little.   
That's when things started to get new. They had never done anything downside, except maybe for grinding against each other, but they had been fully clothed or at least with their pants on.

Jay took off Carlos' shorts slowly, and then did the same to his own pants.   
Carlos would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous, but he knew he would be ok. As soon as he found out what he should do.

He couldn't help but the notice the bulge in Jay's underwear and blush a little at how far his thoughts wandered. He knew that biologically Alphas were meant to be bigger, and that added to the fact Jay was a little older would make a huge difference, but _still._ He felt sorry for his future self, who would no doubt have trouble to seat down the next day. 

They kept kissing and kind of grinding against each other, Carlos' hand exploring his boyfriend's muscled chest while Jay started grabbing his ass through the fabric of his underwear. The feeling was unusual, but nice.

Carlos was taken by a moment of bravery and started playing with the elastic of the Alpha's boxers.   
"Go on." Jay urged and it was all Carlos wanted to hear.   
The first word that came to his mouth when he first saw his lover naked was _glorious._ He couldn't help but let his jaw drop at the sight.

He had never seen another Alpha naked before, and honestly he never wanted to, since he would be pretty satisfied if he stayed with the one right in front of him forever. Rather darkly, the thought of wanting Jay to ruin him for anyone else crossed his mind.

He couldn't take his eyes off of his boyfriend's naked body. Evil, his mouth watered at the sight.   
Jay, who had always been the smuggest bastard he had ever known, had a proud smirk on his lips as he asked:  
"Impressed much?"

"Don't ruin the moment." He said, playfully smacking his shoulder.

"It's your turn now." Jay said, biting his lips as he checked out Carlos' body. The omega brought his hands to his underwear, signalling for Jay take them off. He did so with no complaining.

Carlos admits he felt a little insecure for being completely naked, completely vulnerable in front of someone for the first time in his life. He genuinely and desperately wanted Jay to be as pleased with his body as he had been with Jay's.

Soon, he realized there was nothing to be afraid of. The Alpha looked ready to devour him whole, like a predator who just found the most delicious prey to chase. There was some kind of raw instinct showing on his face as he looked at Carlos' body in delight.   
"So fucking beautiful..." He let out in a low voice. "Can I touch?"

"It's all yours." The omega answered, smirking at the somewhat of a growl that the Alpha let out.   
He immediately touched inside Carlos' butt cheeks, trying to test how wet he was. The boy whined when he felt a slight pressure against the  
hole.

"You want me to lick you?" Jay asked and Carlos glared at him.  
"I want you to fuck me." He insisted, but it made Jay let out a little laugh.

"Relax, I'll still do it." He promised. "It's only to get you wetter, you know? To make it easier?"  
Oh, that made sense, so Carlos nodded.

The Alpha started kissing down Carlos' body until he got to his thighs, spreading them apart gently.   
"You do have freckles everywhere, huh?" He said, kissing a few of them on his inner thigh. "It's cute."

Carlos pushed his shoulder in retaliation.   
"You jerk, you were supposed to tell me my naked body is hot, not cute!" He complained, half-hearted only, making Jay laugh out loud.

"It is! It's cute and hot and amazing." He assured. "It's perfect, 'Los."  
Ok, that made him blush a little.

At that, Jay went back to business, spreading him with his hands before diving in to eat him out.   
It was possible that Jay hadn't done that many times before, he didn't seen to be using any technique or anything, but Carlos had _never_ felt anything like that at all.

The kitten licks didn't do much for him, but once Jay inserted his tongue in he was completely speechless. He already knew he had made a good decision, just from that.    
Things felt really messy down there, but he tried not it mind. It was supposed to feel like that, right?

Then he felt Jay started to press the tip of a digit inside him, but he clenched down, suddenly more nervous than before. Carlos had never even fingered himself, he never had the time, so he wasn't sure what to expect.

"It's not gonna work like that, babe." Jay stopped his work with his mouth to say. "If you can't relax enough to take a finger, you're not taking my cock today."

Carlos took a deep breath. He could do it, he just needed to relax. He heard it might hurt at first, but it would get better eventually. He had to be patient and calm.  
"Yeah, I'll try not to clench." He promised.

"Is there anything I can do? To make you relax, distract you, I don't know." The Alpha asked. "I'm sorry... I... I never took anyone's virginity before. I'm not sure what you need."  
He looked almost embarrassed to admit this, and Carlos thought it was adorable.

"I don't know either. Maybe distract me with kisses and stuff while you do it?" It was a guess, but it was the best he could think of.  
Jay did just that, kissing him open-mouthed and rough as he tried to insert his finger again. This time the fingertip entered easily, but the boy clenched again on the first knuckle.

The Alpha let go of his mouth and started kissing his neck again instead, hoping it would be a better distraction. And it worked, Carlos was well aware of the finger entering him, but managed to relax his body enough to allow it.   
Soon Jay started to nibble on his ear and _Oh,_ Carlos had just found something he absolutely adored. He melted at the touch, and Jay took the opportunity to push the finger deeper and make small movements with it.

When the second finger started to go in, Carlos could feel a hellish burn on his ass that made him hiss angrily. Goddamn it, it was supposed to be easier than this.   
"Fuck, Jay..." He breathed out.   
"You want me to stop?" The Alpha asked, but he shook his head.

Jay went back to kissing down his neck and nibbling on his ear, desperate to take his boyfriend's mind off of the burn.   
It was still a tight fit, but excruciating slowly the finger also made its way in.

Jay started pressing up inside him insistently, probably trying to find that special spot everyone claimed could make people see stars and all that.

Well, it did take a while for him to find it, but once he did Carlos completely forgot about how uncomfortable the burn of being penetrated was. He tilted his head back, basking in the sensation, but he could almost feel the proud little smile Jay had on for being able to find the spot.

He pressed harder and Carlos moaned louder. It was starting to get really good for him, he started to get why people were so into it.   
Jay kept alternating between kissing his mouth and leaving hickeys on his neck and collarbone.

Soon, the Alpha started to scissor the two fingers inside him and the burn made itself present again, but wasn't as bad this time. He felt the stretch, but it didn't hurt or make him hiss again. The pleasure still outweighed the burning.

Things got difficult again the second Jay started to insert a third fingertip. The burn and discomfort spiked up again, this time even worse than before.   
"T-that's a lot..." Carlos kind of complained, kind of commented, feeling absolutely breathless.  
Jay decided to try another way to distract him, using his free hand to slowly, _so slowly,_ stroke his cock.

It mostly worked. He still felt like he could burst from being so full as the digit made its way inside, but he could take it. It still wasn't exactly pain what he felt, so it was fine.   
Jay started wiggling the fingers, testing his reaction.

After a few minutes, it stopped being so uncomfortable and he could actually enjoy being stimulated from both ends. It didn't take long for Jay to pull his fingers out and stop touching him altogether though.  
"I think you're stretched enough." He said. "If you still want it."

It was sweet that he was so worried, but Carlos was sure of his decision. He couldn't take the risk anymore, he needed and he wanted to do it, to share this moment with Jay and Jay only.

"I do. Just... be careful, alright?" The omega said, voice low and nervous. He knew he wanted it, but it didn't mean he couldn't be a little afraid, right?

Jay just nodded and pecked his lips sweetly before positioning himself between his legs. He had one hand on the boy's hip while the other guided his cock in.   
The moment he actually pushed the tip in, Carlos hissed loudly, closing his eyes in discomfort. Was this even going to fit in? He had had trouble with three fingers and the Alpha's cock was so much bigger than that.

Jay tried to keep going slowly, but he had barely anything in and Carlos was already clenching fiercely.   
"Babe, if you don't let me in it's not going to work."He warned, already pulling out. Carlos whined at the loss. "You were crushing me."

"Sorry, it's just... a lot to take, you know?" He explained. While they talked, Jay put two of his fingers inside the boy again so that he stayed wet. "You're like... pretty big."  
He knew Jay would have a stupid smug smile on his lips even before he said that.

"If you don't want to take it, you don't have to." Jay insisted. "I don't mind waiting a little longer. We have our whole lives ahead of us."  
Carlos just had to snort at that.

"We live on the Isle, Jay. We could be dead next week and you know it." He said. "C'mon, just distract me again. I really want to do it, as long as you want it too."

"I want it, of course I do. But try your best to relax, ok? I don't want to end up hurting you." The Alpha asked, already positioning himself to try again.   
It was just as difficult the first time, until Jay started to slowly stroke Carlos' dick to try make him focus on something else again.

But as he started making his way in, inch by inch, even though he tried to make it as comfortable as possible, it started to get actually painful. Carlos had to grit his teeth and try his hardest not to clench. He shut his eyes and gripped tight on the blankets, his knuckles turning white.

He tried to focus on the slow touches on his dick, but even that wasn't helping him.   
"Is it, is it in yet?" He managed to ask, even with his jaw clenched.

"Fuck, 'Los... About halfway in." Jay answered. _Holy shit,_ only half? Well, Carlos was pretty sure he'd be split in half before the end of the night.   
But he still didn't want it to stop.

The omega tried his best to stay relaxed, but as his lover went deeper all he managed to do was let a single tear fall from his eyes. Thankfully Jay had his eyes closed so he didn't see that, otherwise he might have freaked out in worry.   
This was so much harder than it appeared to be.

Carlos didn't know what to do with himself. He took deep breaths, tried to focus on Jay's hand, gritted his teeth, but he couldn't feel any relief. He was actually close to just giving up on everything, when he heard:  
"F-fuck... that's it. All in." Jay said. "I'll just, wait f-for you to get used to it."

Ok, he could do this. He just needed a few more minutes and he would stop feeling pain. So he kept his eyes closed and kissed Jay again.   
The Alpha's tongue in his mouth and his hand around his dick actually helped to take his mind off this time.

Time passed almost imperceptibly, like it didn't even exist. All there was in the world was the two of them. The pain faded to a dull burn, as the kisses got steamier and Carlos could start to focus more on other aspects of what was happening.   
He could focus on how hot Jay's skin felt against his own and how delicious were the sounds they made together.

The burn faded to discomfort. His body had accommodated to let Jay in and was accommodating again to make Carlos not feel pain in the process.   
"I think... I think you can move." He breathed out.

Jay was being a gentleman, he didn't even really thrust after that. Just tiny little movements with his hips, wanting to make sure Carlos was comfortable. The small motions did feel good, and the omega couldn't help but moan.   
It felt so surreal, knowing how close they were, knowing Jay was literally _inside_ of him. The thought alone made him hot all over.

After noticing Carlos was enjoying himself, Jay started to actually thrust, but keeping the pace slow and collected. The boy threw his head back, panting hotly at the new movements.   
Yeah, he learned he enjoyed being fucked. Like, a lot. The trouble he went through a few minutes ago all made sense at that moment. It was so worth it.

Jay had both hands on his waist, trying not to touch any bruises, as Carlos had his hands on his shoulders, gripping tightly.   
"Just... so fucking t-tight, 'Los." Jay moaned. "I love it."

It seemed like he liked to talk when fucking? Interesting, very interesting. His voice was deeper than normal and Carlos honestly couldn't wait to hear everything the Alpha could say to him.   
"S-such a good boy for me, so h-hot." That made Carlos let out a high-pitched and long whine.The praise really did something to him.

"H-harder, please." He begged, wanting more of this feeling, wanting more of Jay himself.

Unfortunately, as soon as his boyfriend complied, the new, rougher movements made his side collide against the wall, right where his bruised ribs were.   
He tried to ignore it, but _ouch_ did it hurt.   
"Wait, wait... my, my ribs." He kind of yelled. Jay was so lost in how good he felt that, even though he stopped immediately, he just spent a few moments there trying to absorb the information before actually noticing what was wrong. It would have been funny in a different situation, Carlos supposed.

Jay just manhandled him away from the wall, almost banging his head on the floor, barely missing it actually, and went back to what he was doing, which Carlos was thankful for. He never wanted to stop what they were doing.   
"So... hm, so delicious, babe." Jay babbled and Carlos loved to hear it. "I wanna be... wanna be inside you f-forever." If it was possible, the omega would allow that.

But it wasn't. So when Jay took a trembling hand to his dick Carlos imagined he was probably close to cumming himself.   
"C-can't last..." He warned, confirming his boyfriend's suspicion.

So Carlos let himself focus on the feeling, on the stroking, the delicious drag of Jay's cock inside him, the way his skin felt, how hot his hands felt and it didn't take long for him to feel a tight feeling in his stomach.   
Then he was coming, almost blacking out with how good he felt, shouting Jay's name in the process.

_"Fucking perfect, f-fucking m-mine."_ _The slip of Alpha's tone made Carlos melt._  
Then Jay was coming, probably less than a minute behind, and Carlos almost stopped breathing when the knot started inflating, locking them together. He felt about to burst, he felt like his insides would give at any moment. There was that strong burn again.   
But he couldn't focus on the slight pain when Jay looked like a _fucking God_ in front of him. He was just so handsome when he came, parted lips, Alpha growl and shut eyes.

He could _feel_ him coming, feel him pulsing, feel the wetness inside. He didn't think it was possible, but he found out he loved it. Eventually, the knot stopped getting bigger and Jay was done coming.

They were both breathing heavily. The Alpha tried not to collapse on top of his lover, but he kind of did so anyway. He wanted to complain, but he needed to remember how to talk first.   
They had really just done that. He couldn't help, but smile wide; no one else could take this from him because he had already given it to Jay. And he couldn't be happier with what they had made, even knowing he would probably be sore later.

"So... was it what you wanted?" Jay asked, only he didn't look smug, but genuinely insecure. As if he could ever not be enough for Carlos.   
The omega kissed him sweetly.

"I loved it, ok? You felt so, so good." He promised. "I'm glad we did it."  
Jay smiled, so sincerely it hurt.

"I'm glad too. Thank you for trusting me with this." He said, voice soft. "Now, why don't we take a little nap?"

"Yeah, as soon as you stop trying to crush me." Carlos complained, but he had humor on his voice.  
Both of them started to giggle, like two actual children. But wasn't that exactly what they were? Children who were forced to grow up too fast to survive this cruel, helpless place?

Anyway, Carlos knew he could take anything the Isle had to offer. As long as he had Jay on his life.

🦴🐍

That was one of Carlos' best moments from when he was still on that Island. One of the few genuinely happy memories he made on that place. It left him with an overwhelming feeling of nostalgia, he remembered that night fondly, but he was proud of how things were better now.

He was out of that place, he still had Jay by his side, and well sex got better through the years, he was safe, he was happy and they had Gil now. Talk about an upgrade, huh?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Read notes at the beginning. I'm particularly proud of the conversation Ben had with Gil and Carlos, I really liked writting that. What do you think?  
> Also, I wanna let you guys know that there is still a long-ish way to go until our babies really get their happy ending.   
> Please, consider leaving a comment and a kudo.


	15. Tell the truth and I'll show you how to dare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry sees someone from the past, everyone plays a game during a school blackout and Jay is sick of Liam being a dick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm back. Don't forget to comment, feedback is important.   
> This chapter is pure: fluff and me being obssessed with party games. No one suffers today, yay (don't get used to it) Enjoy! ♡  
> WARNINGS: mentions of rape, sexist language.

**Harry**  
School was always boring, but Harry got somewhat used to it. He didn't like it, but he could survive it as long as he knew Ben would be waiting for him later.   
The pirate was getting a few things from his locker, since there was a small break between his classes, when a familiar but not much appreciated face appeared by his side.

"My lovely Harry Hook, I'm glad to find you here." The girl said, wearing a broad grin. "You want to sneak out?"

"Meadow, I've never seen you here before." He said, still closing his locker and not giving her much attention. "Thought you had stayed on the Isle or something."

Meadow was the daughter of Madame Medusa. She was a beta who was only one year younger than him and who had hooked up with Harry many times when they were on the Isle. She was fierce, really attractive with her petite body and bright ginger hair, and well, she was also as horny he tended to be so they used to get along well on the other side of the barrier.

"Nah, my mother wanted to move here as soon as the barrier was opened." She explained. "I just didn't want to come to school, it seemed so fucking boring to me. But I decided to give it a chance now. So what, you're down for a good time or not?"

He shook his head, sighing.   
"Sorry, M." He answered. "I don't do that anymore." But all she did was snort at him.

"C'mon, Harry. You're not one to play hard to get." The girl complained. "What do you mean? Is this a game or something?"   
He sighed once again. There's no way this was going to be good. He knew how stubborn she could be.    
"I have a boyfriend." He said, but Meadow raised her eyebrows at him, clearly not beliving a single word.

"I know you can lie better than this." She said, putting her hands firmly on his shoulder. "Why the hell would you even want a relationship to tie you down?"  
He took her hands off of him to make his point clear.   
"Haven't you watched the news?" He asked, simply, not really feeling like giving her a full report of his love life in any way.

"Nah, the only Auradonian things I've been keeping up with are the foods." She answered. "Can you believe how good this strawberry thing tastes? And also all the good candies they have here?"

"Maybe you should watch the news to keep up with what happens to the people around here too." Harry advised.   
Not paying him any mind, she grabbed him again, his arm this time, as if that would make him change his mind somehow.   
"And what life-changing information would I get if I started watching the news?"

Harry opened his mouth to answer, when a voice appeared from behind him:  
"You'd know that Harry is dating the king now, for example." Ben said, showing up out of the blue. As to if to mark his territory, he grabbed Harry's other arm and held eye contact with the beta.  
Hm... pretty Interesting.

Her jaw dropped, completely shocked.   
"I can't fucking believe this, Hook." She complained. "Auradon shaped you into a goody-two-shoes? Or do you have some evil plan to take the throne?"   
He yanked his arm away from her, getting mad at the whole thing. She was just a hook up, someone who had no fucking right to make a scene over this.

"Get lost, Meadow." He said. "I don't owe you anything." Just because they used to have sex she thinks it's okay to judge his fucking life choices? He won't allow that.

The beta looked perplexed, as if the whole situation was just too crazy for her to understand. Like there was never a universe in which Harry would turn down the possibility of having sex.   
"You know what? Fuck you, Hook." Meadow said, and then angrily stomped away.

He didn't pay her any mind as she left, but everyone else eyed the scene attentively, trying to figure out what had happened there. He definitely didn't need the attention, but he could deal.

Harry quickly turned to his boyfriend.   
"You're cute when you're jealous, yer highness." He said, smiling fondly at the omega.

"I... I wasn't jealous. I was just..." He trailed off and Harry waited patiently for him to finish. "Ok, maybe a little jealous. I'm sorry, though."   
Harry was slightly amused. Actually, screw that, he was really amused with the scene.  
"No need to be sorry, darling." Harry assured. "Didn't know you had it in you." Ben was blushing so prettily for him. Harry loved it.

"I just came here and she was all up on you and I felt the need to..." He trailed off again.

"Mark your territory?" He suggested, laughing out loud at how Ben blushed even harder. "Relax, darling. She's no one to me. I promise you have nothing to worry about."

"An ex from the Isle?" The omega guessed, trying and failing not to seem jealous. "You know what? You don't need to answer that, I trust you and I don't wanna be that kind of boyfriend."  
Harry snorted.  
"I have no exes, yer highness. Just a long list of one night stands." He explained. "You have no competition. Even if you had, you'd be better than all of them anyway."  
Ok, that was way more romantic than he had anticipated, but Ben showed him such a genuine smile in return that it was clearly worth it.   
He was so gone for this boy...

** GIL **   
Something unusual had happened. Gil was in the middle of his biology class, trying to grasp something about the human nervous system or some shit like that, when Auradon Prep had a blackout.    
That was unusual for Auradon; everything seemed to work so perfectly here. Gil didn't think things like that could happen.

Of course, he didn't exactly mind it. There were several blackouts on the Isle, be them in specific point or even some where the whole Isle would go without electricity. He had studied in way worse conditions.    
But Auradonians didn't seem to think so, since in a few minutes Fairy Godmother was inside the class announcing that everyone was supposed to wait in the patio while they tried to fix the problem.

It was still daylight, they could go on without electricity. And yeah, it would be pretty hot in a closed classroom without any air conditioner or even a fan, but school back on the Isle didn't have any of these anyway. Oh, there was also the projector the teacher had been using, but still. Gil didn't think there was a reason to stop every class.

Still, he obeyed and went to the patio, where he found all of his friends, and some people that were more of Ben's friends than his own, gathered in a table.   
"Pretty crazy, huh? The whole time I've studied here there was never a blackout." Ben said.   
Gil nodded, sitting beside Jay.

"I don't know why it's such a big deal." Carlos said. "We were having such a nice class, it's daytime so we can still see."  
Jay looked at him admiringly and pecked his lips.  
"You're such a nerd, but you're my nerd." He said.

"On the Isle people could be literally throwing chairs at each other and the teacher would just roll their eyes and go on." Mal said. She didn't seem to be complaining, exactly, but rather stating a fact.

"I'm sure my mother will find out what the problem is soon." Jane said. "We just have to entertain ourselves until then."

"Which is pretty unfortunate. We could just not have classes all day..." Harry complained and Ben shot him a dirty look.

"The worst thing is that I left my bag in the classroom, with my phone in it." Audrey said, with a slightly distressed look on her face. "What will we do until the blackout ends?"

"We could play a game." Evie offered, always cheerful.   
Jay wrapped a protective arm around Gil's shoulder, probably remembered that the last game didn't end all that well.  
"Are you sure it's a good idea?" He asked.

"It's a great idea! We could play truth or dare." Jane suggested, seeming excited at that.

"It's fine for me, but you guys have to promise not to be assholes about Isle-related stuff." Carlos spoke firmly. "I mean it, none of us want to tell sob stories and I'm sure none of you want to hear them."    
Both Chad and Audrey became completely pale at his words, knowing exactly who they were directed to.

Gil himself didn't think it was a bad idea. He knew the game, but he had never played it and it seemed like a good thing to play with a big group of people.   
"I agree with him." Uma said. "Even though the game is for kids..."  
She complained, but knew that they had to find something to pass the time.

Eventually, everyone ended up agreeing, some of them excitedly like Jane and others rolling their eyes like Jay. Gil thought of it as a oportunity to bond with other people, so he viewed it as a nice thing.

They all left the table and found a spot on one of the patio's corner where they sat in a circle on the ground. It was a little distant from the tables and, consequently, from all the other students. Which means that, considering all adults were running back and forth the building trying to fix the electricity issue, the group would mostly be left alone to play in peace.

Ben put a pencil in the middle of the circle and they decided which side would mean ask and which would mean answer. So, the game was ready to start.

"Please, don't be kill-joys, asking things you could ask a child." Harry half complained, half pleaded. "Ask good stuff."

Ben was the one who spinned the pencil, the result being Audrey asks Harry.

"Dare." He declared quickly. Harry loved things like that, they were like adventures.

"You said no kid stuff, right?" The princess asked. "Then go find a room to play seven minutes in heaven with Ben."  
She clearly thought that was a pretty wild idea to do, but Gil knew damn well that wasn't the first and wouldn't be the time Ben and Harry made out in the school.

The Alpha just laughed, clearly pleased.  
"Well, the game just got so much better." Harry said, already getting up. "C'mon, darling."  
Ben was blushing hard, but it was clear he was as eager as Harry to get out of here and get wild.

"I think we should go on without them. "Gil suggested.

"But it's just seven minutes. We can wait." Loonie said, frowning.  
Gil and Uma exchanged a look, before laughing out loud.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but they won't come back for, at the very least, twenty minutes." Uma said. "We should just go on."

The pencil landed from Evie to Chad.   
"Truth or dare?" She asked him.

"Truth." He answered, looking a little afraid.

"I'll go easy on you. Well, a little easy..." She said, eyes shining wickedly. "Has anyone in this room seen you naked? And if so, who?"

He looked like a deer caught in the headlights.   
"Well, I guess most of the guys who go to the locker room at the same time as me." Which didn't apply to Gil, who was still wary of that place. "And... hm, Audrey too."

Everyone turned their heads at the princess, who didn't looked bothered at all. She just shrugged, completely confidently.    
"What? Why the surprise?" Audrey asked, with a little smirk on her face. "I thought you all would already know I can be bad girl if I want to."   
Ok, Gil admitted he wished he could be as confident as her.

"Are you two like... together?" Jane asked, rather innocently since it was obvious they weren't a couple. As if she couldn't grasp the idea of them having sex without being boyfriend and girlfriend.   
Both royals answered 'no', but the girl sounded a little grossed out at the suggestion, while Chad just seemed a bummed out. Poor him.

They spinned the pencil again and Uma was supposed to ask Jane.   
Everyone was clearly expecting her to choose truth, especially since Uma would be the one to decide what she would have to do.   
But Jane surprised everyone with her firm tone as she answered.  
"Dare." She said, decision clear in her voice.

Uma raised her eyebrows and then showed a wicked little smile. Well, Jane was damned.   
"Pick someone from this group and give them a kiss." She ordered. Of corse, Jane's eyes went all wide.

She stayed quiet for a few seconds, so Ben decided to speak up:  
"Jane, if it makes you uncomfortable yo-" He stopped mid-sentence as Jane got up and gave Uma herself a small peck on the lips.

Everyone felt silent, clearly not expecting that. Uma was totally shocked, clearly not having anticipated this outcome. She touched her lip with her fingers, like she didn't believe what had happened.

Jane went back to her place with a triumphant smile on her lips. Was it just Gil's perception or were all Auradon kids showing off their naughty, or at least slightly less perfect and pure, side that day?

They spinned again, and Loonie was supposed to ask Carlos.  
"I want dare." He said, clearly going for an adventure.  
Loonie made a face, clearly not liking the answer too much.  
"Well, I suck at this." She said. "Hm... how about you sit on your boyfriend's lap through the whole game?"  
Carlos did not miss a blink before asking.  
"Which one?" And ok, that did make Gil's chest feel warm.

"Oh, sorry I didn't specify." Loonie apologized. "But I meant Jay."  
Carlos nodded and sat on the Alpha's lap, looking completely happy to do so. Jay wrapped his arms around him instantaneously.   
The image they made was cute, but the dare wasn't anything exciting.

Next up, Chad to Gil.  
"Truth." The omega decided to play safe.   
"How many people have you ever had sex with?" Chad asked, and it wasn't even a mean question. It was a pretty normal one, but Gil had to think a lot to answer it.

Honestly, he thought the answer was dozens of people, dozen of Alphas. The previous crew was big and they all touched him, and they did so multiple times. He hadn't been a virgin for a long time, he was bedding all those disgusting men since he was 13.

But before he answered he couldn't help but think back to what he had heard from his boyfriends, his friends and even his therapist once: sex requires consent.   
And he definitely never gave them that. At the beginning he would kick, bite and scream, and after a few months it was just sobbing and begging for them to stop, to have mercy on him. But he hadn't allowed them to touch him, he said 'no' to all of them. And if he said 'no' it wasn't sex.   
Right?

Before the lost courage and lost his own mental battle to himself, he answered:  
"Two. Just two people." He said, as firmly as he could must. He was still a little nervous that someone would call him a liar or yell at him.

But it didn't happen. Instead, the people who _knew_ how important for him it was to give that answer, to acknowledge that, such as Uma and Ben, and most importantly Jay and Carlos, all looked at him with fond expressions on their faces. It was like they had seen his little inner battle and were proud of him for winning.

Jay brought him closer, circling his shoulder with his arm, in an act of pure adoration.

Jane looked between the three of them, saying:  
"Aww, guys. That's so cute." She was complexly unaware of how deep the whole interaction had been though, probably just thinking he had saved himself for the two or some other romantic shit like that.

Surprisely, he didn't feel bad after thinking about that, he didn't feel about to freak out or anything. Was this what the way to recover is supposed to feel like? He decided he liked it.

The game went on and Mal was supposed to ask Carlos. He chose truth this time.  
"What sex thing you've done that you'd never do again?" She fired.

"Having my mouth knotted." Carlos made a small pause between every word. Jay had a guilty look on his face and Gil was pretty sure he was missing something. Well, he'd just have to ask about it later. "Oral is good, but I don't think I'll ever let a knot grow in my mouth again."

"I feel like there's some back story there." Chad commented.   
Carlos rolled his eyes, but didn't say anything.   
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Jay teased. "Such a shame you won't."  
It was the prince's turn to roll his eyes, but no one seemed to be really mad, so the game didn't have to stop.

Now, Audrey to Mal. Well, that would surely be an interesting one.   
The Alpha wasn't dumb, so she obviously chose truth.   
"When are you and Evie admitting to us that you're dating?" Audrey asked, making Mal's jaw drop and Evie's eyes go wide.

"We're not... it's not like... I mean, not officially... it's just, ugh." It was rare to see Mal become speechless like that. She always seemed to have the perfect comeback.

"It's all answer we needed." The princess said, giggling a little.  
Well, it was an interesting interaction, but it also wasn't anything new. Everyone knew Mal and Evie had something going on, they just weren't sure what.

Before they could keep going, Harry and Ben came back from their little escapade. They had probably been in the bathroom or the janitor's closet.   
They both looked quite dishevelled, and Harry had the smuggest smile ever on his face.   
"Oh, look, the lovebirds came back from twenty-five minutes in heaven." Uma teased.

Ben blushed, pretending he didn't even listened to her before sitting down on his place again.   
"Well, it was heaven indeed." Harry said, winking at his boyfriend.

"Wait, we're still in school grounds." Jane said, all nervous and worried eyes. "Please, tell me you guys didn't... you know. My mother would have a heart attack if she found out."

"First of all, we didn't fuck, if that's what you mean." Harry said.

"Yeah, we just made out, I swear." Ben explained, cheeks painted a bright shade of pink.  
He got really embarrassed with things like that.   
"Second of all, so what if we had?" Harry asked. "C'mon, you guys need to live a little."

"Did we miss something?" Ben asked, probably wanting to change the subject.

"We found out that Chad and Audrey have been naughty together, Jane kissed Uma, Carlos said he's afraid to take a knot in his mouth and Mal and Evie refuse to say they're dating. " Loonie quickly filled in. "And that's what you missed on here."

Ben breathed out a little 'wow', while Harry just did one of his crazy laughs out loud. When Loonie put it like that, the game seemed wilder than it really was.

Deciding to continue with the game, Jay was supposed to ask Ben. The omega chose truth.   
"Naughtiest thing you have ever done with someone else?" Jay asked. "And I think we all know I mean sexually."

Ben blushed again, but didn't hesitate a lot before answering.  
"Probably grinding against someone." He confessed. Of course, everyone on that place knew that 'someone' actually meant 'Harry', but no one commented on it.

Actually, before anyone could think about saying something, the light started working again, the sudden brightness hurt Gil's eyes a little.

Immediately Fairy Godmother's voice was heard through the speakers:   
"Attention, students. The electricity problem has been solved and class will continue normally from now on. Please, direct yourselves for your next class. Oh, and bibbidi bobbidi sorry for the inconvenience."

They all groaned at that. Even the ones who had been reluctant at first were enjoying the game now.   
Well, Gil supposed that only meant they needed to get together like this more often.

**JAY**   
Just as Fairy Godmother had promised, all classes went on like always after the electricity was restored. Many of them were kinda boring, but Jay had grown used to it.

On the upside, all practices also happened normally after the blackout, which meant that he got to have fun on the tourney field.   
There were some big games coming up, so practice was rougher and more exhausting than usual. Jay loved it, he always had lots of energy to spend.

The thing is, sometimes when he got too worked up on tourney and if once the exercise was over he still had all that energy pent up, he'd end up, well, horny.   
Fortunately for him, he had a boyfriend on the team. Which meant that instead of going to the locker room once practice was over, he called Gil to go with him under the bleachers.

The boy agreed eagerly and they started making out like they hadn't done it in days, when it had been likely less than 24 hours. Jay couldn't help it, he was on fire.   
His kisses were fierce and wet and Gil responded just as fierce.

The Alpha let a trail of kisses down the boy's neck, loving the way the boy began to pant almost immediately. Evil, he couldn't wait for Carlos to arrive from his cheerleading practice so the three of them could go to the dorm and get dirty.   
He could never get enough of either of his boys...

Just as he had started to grab his boyfriend's ass, he heard an annoying voice behind them.   
"Oh look, how wicked of our little captain to do things like that under the bleachers." Liam said.

Jay was pretty sure he had never let out a longer sigh in his life. Gil just rolled his eyes at the boy.  
"Liam... do I need to remind you I literally caught you doing the exact same thing with Addison just two weeks ago?" Jay said, not in the mood to deal with Liam anymore.

Jay clearly remembered it, since he was shocked to find out anyone would want to kiss such an annoying brat like Liam. It was probably because Addison, the child of Adella which meant she was also Ariel's niece, was two years younger than them and probably thought it was cool to make out with a tourney player.

"I wonder what would coach think about that." He went on, completely ignoring what Jay had said.

"That isn't that big of an offense anyway, it wasn't during practice either. He'd probably just scold us." Jay told him, sounding nonchalantly. "And you'd be scolded with us, 'cause I'd have to tell him you did the same thing."

Liam let out a little smirk at that.  
"Well, Addison isn't a team member. Gil is." He said. "Are you sure you were focused back there? Or were you too worried looking at your little boyfriend and waiting to ravish him here? Having an omega on the team can be really distracting. Especially when he's already the captain's boyfriend, don't you think?"

Oh, so _that's_ where he's getting at. They all knew he's a prejudiced dick who didn't like omegas on the tourney team. Much less an omega who's better than him. Much, much less an omega who is also a VK that's better than him.   
"The coach wouldn't fall for some shit like that." Jay said, annoyed at the fact that fucking guy was always targeting his boyfriend. 

"Yeah, Liam, it may come as a shock to you but you're the only person who still gives a damn about the fact I'm omega." Gil said, clearly not afraid of the other guy.

Liam just rolled his eyes.  
"I'm the only person who is brave enough to say it." He answered and then turned his head to speak to Jay. "C'mon, Jay, you're an Alpha too, you can't think this is normal. I mean, wouldn't you prefer him using this time to cook for you or find different ways to please you?"

The guy seemed to give Jay a headache every single time he opened his mouth. He took a step closer, getting on Liam's personal space.   
"As a boyfriend, I want Gil to do whatever makes him happy." He explained. "As the captain, I want the best players to be on my team, be them Alphas, betas or omegas."

"Well, let me see what coach thinks about it once he finds out you've been distracted on the field because of your little omega." The guy said, and then turned around to leave, but Jay knew he couldn't let it go. He just couldn't.

Deep down, he knew coach wouldn't listen to Liam, would see it as the sexist bullshit it was. But _still._  
He couldn't allow that piece of crap to antagonize his boyfriend to his face, he had no right to treat Gil like that, to treat omegas like that.

So, Jay grabbed the guy by the collar of his shirt, ready to smash his face in, when he felt a hand on his shoulder.   
"Babe... you're going to get in trouble. He isn't worth it, ok?" Gil said, softly.

The Alpha decided that his boyfriend was right, he could be suspended for the next game if he did something like that and coach or Fairy Godmother found out.   
But he didn't let Liam go, he just grabbed harder and said:  
"You're going to talk to coach, huh? What if I tell coach how you've been hostilizating Gil from day one? You know how he always want us to welcome newcomers well." Jay threatened. "Especially when the newcomers are as talented as Gil."

Liam grinned.  
"Coach wouldn't choose an o' over me." He answered, full of himself.   
Evil, that guy was so dense.   
"You sure about that? We both know Gil is a way better player than you." Jay said, but it only riled the boy up even more.

"Screw you, Jay! There's no way your omega is better than me, coach knows that." Liam insisted.

"Let's suppose he agrees. Then what about me ratting you out to the king instead of coach? You remember he's a friend of ours, right?" That made the other boy pale a bit. "You know, I bet he won't like to hear about it, considering he's an omega himself. And, well, he played tourney for two seasons, remember? So, he has personal reasons to dislike what you're doing here. Can you imagine how pissed your parents will be if they found out you _offended_ the King himself?"

Jay liked the reaction he was getting now, the boy started to look visibly nervous. The look suited an asshole like him.

"So, before trying to be a dick to my boyfriend again, remember we both could fuck you over without raising a single finger." He said, getting even closer to the boy, to make sure he understood.   
Liam nodded, looking slightly scared, so Jay let him go and the guy bolted out of that place like he was running for his life.

Jay watched him go with a smirk on his lips. Well, maybe that would teach him not to mess with them anymore.   
"I think he'll leave us alone now." He said.

"Maybe, but either way I'm proud. You scared him off without leaving a single scratch on him." Gil said. "And I'm also kinda horny too, if I'm honest."  
That perked Jay's interest.  
"You like the idea of me fighting another Alpha to protect you?" He asked, and Gil nodded, biting his lips a little.The Alpha got closer and circled Gil's hips with his hands.

He kissed his boyfriend again, almost forgetting about the irritation he had felt moments before.

"Why do I think that the fact I just saw Liam running from the field has to do with you two?" They parted once they heard Carlos' voice, both laughing a little. "Oh, and sorry for taking so long. Audrey has been making us train like crazy now there are big games coming."

"Coach is the same." Gil assured. "And yeah, Liam was being a jerk about me being on the team, so Jay kinda scared him away."

"Oh, protective boyfriend mode?" Carlos said, getting closer to Jay and pecking his lips lightly. "I like it."

Jay smiled at the both of them. Everyday he wondered how he had became lucky to the point of having these two beautiful people in his life, the two of them by his side and _loving_ him.   
When he thought about everything he had, people like Liam, people who couldn't understand, seemed completely insignificant.

"Glad you're both so into it." He said, laughing a bit in the end. "How about we go back to the dorm and have a little fun?" His little wink at the end told them everything they needed to know about his intentions.  
And the matching little smiles on both of the omegas' faces told him they were also on board with the idea.

Jay barely registered the walk back to their dorm room. Gil spent so much time there lately that the Alpha couldn't help, but feel that the room was his as well. 

The three of them had a _great_ time that day, it was the first time he managed to knot both of them on the same afternoon and _evil_ , was it satisfying. Then they spent hours just rolling around the sheets together, without a single care in the world.   
Jay had never felt like his life was as complete as he felt at that day.

Honestly, it felt like the three of them were invincible, like nothing could ever touch them. The happiness they felt around each other was almost palpable, and it felt like no one could ever take it away. There was nothing anyone could do to change that. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are really chill and fluff rn. Again, don't get used to it. If you have any interest in this story, let me know what you think through a comment.


	16. Things were all good yesterday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Ben go to a royal Ball, Gil, Jay and Carlos have a date and something terrible happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I AM SORRY. I am about to murder y'all. I told you this would be dark and angsty, I was saying the truth. Things got better and now they're about to get MUCH worse.   
> Please, don't forget to leave a review or any kind of comment. This is important to the author.   
> ENJOY! ♡ (Warnings contain spoilers; go to the end notes if you still want to see them.)

**HARRY**  
He and Ben were walking to the castle, since they decided to spend some time there after class was over.   
But somewhere along the way, the omega started looking quite nervous, and Harry had no idea why.  
"Is something bothering you, darling?" He decided to ask.

Ben made a face, and it didn't look like there was any good news for him, so Harry braced himself for some bad ones.

"So, this morning I received an invite for a royal ball." He said. "And it's... kinda on the end of the week."  
Ok, that wasn't too bad. So they wouldn't be able to hang out on the weekend. Not that much of a big deal.  
"Good luck on your royals-only boring party, yer highness." He teased, but Ben didn't laugh like he'd usually do. "I'll miss you, though."

"Well, every royal can take a plus one." He said, almost wincing as he did so. Oh, so _that's_ what he's getting at. "And I thought that maybe you could go with me."  
Ok, Harry, don't freak out.

"Where is it?" He asked, trying to keep his cool.

"At Charming and Cinderella's castle." He admitted. Harry couldn't help but let out a low groan at that. At Chad's place? Really? He still wasn't that guy's biggest fan. "But you don't need to go if you don't want to. I can go alone, it's fine."

But Harry knew it wasn't. The press was already all over Ben for dating another VK and for that little scene Harry had caused. It would be strong gossip material if the King himself showed up alone, it would mess with Harry already problematic image.   
Not that Harry gave a shit about that, but he knew Ben did. And the omega's feelings were important to him.

He really didn't like this royalty crap, but he liked Ben and if it was something important for his boyfriend, then he'd try. The worst that could happen was him dying of boredom.  
  
"Darling... if you really care about this ball, then I'll go with you." He promised and Ben's eyes shone with happiness.

"Really? You'd really do that for me?" The omega asked, pretty excited with the idea. Harry loved being the reason for that smile more than anything.

"But I'm not staying until the end of the party, got it?" He added, just to be sure. People said relationships were about compromising, right?   
Ben nodded happily.

"I didn't think you'd actually agree to come." He said. "We need to talk to Evie as soon as possible."

"Evie? Why?" Harry asked, slightly confused. What did she have to do with all this?

"We need new clothes, of course." He explained and Harry barely contained another groan. Yeah, he totally forgot about that part. "Don't worry, we won't go overboard, I promise."  
Harry really doubted that.

But he had to admit that he needed to look his best on a event like that. Of course, he wouldn't be like those prissy princes with their expensive pastel colored suits, but it didn't mean he could just throw on whatever was in his closet.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Ben said. "It's a masquerade ball, so all guests are required to wear masks."  
That seemed a little uncomfortable, but it was doable. There were way worse themes for a royal event.

"I have no idea where to even get a mask, but I'll find a way." Harry said, making Ben giggle a little.

"Relax, I promise I'll take care of everything for you. Well, me and Evie, of course." He promised. "Actually, let me text her and see if she can schedule us right now. The sooner we do this better." He was already getting his cellphone to check.

Harry could deal with the clothes though. He was more worried about spending time with judgemental little pieces of crap, who thought that being born into royalty made them better than everyone else, especially better than people who came from the Isle.  
He hoped he wouldn't have to deal with them for too much time. Maybe he wouldn't need to make small talk with them, right?

Well, he hoped he wouldn't, most of those people freaked him out. Honestly, the only royal he knew how to deal with was his own boyfriend.

At least he still had a few days to get used to this crazy thing. Actually, it's still crazy for him to be dating royalty.    
"Hey, she said we can go there now if we want." Ben said, stopping his thoughts for a bit. "We can go to my castle after that, Evie works super fast, I swear."

Harry sighed, yeah, that's not how he planned on spending his afternoon, but he could survive. As he said, trying on new clothes wouldn't be the worst part.

** EVIE **   
Seriously, who the hell throws a royal ball with a less than one week time notice? Evie was crazy overworked, but it was not like she ever said no to fashion, especially when her friends were the ones asking.

Loonie talked to her as soon as she got to school, exasperated saying how much she needed a new dress to wear at the ball, Chad had practically begged for the best of the best clothing she could muster and Ben was about to come to her studio with Harry so they both could tell her what they wanted her to make for them.    
Honestly, she didn't know Cinderella or Charming personally, but she felt like she could already kill them for this unexpected event. And Evie still had to think about her own dress, of course.

Oh, right. After they decided to join goodness and all that, she made a little research on royal bloodlines and found out that what Audrey had said about her not holding any royal status was pure bullshit. She was as royal as Chad or Audrey herself.   
Some Auradonians took a little while to get used to it, but eventually they admitted there was no reason to leave her out and she started getting invited to all kinds of royalty events.

A soft knock on her door made her stop her train of thoughts.  
"Ben! Harry!" She exclaimed, happily, as she let them in. "Come in, quick. We have lots of things to work on with you two."

"Please, princess, tell me I won't have to wear vibrant or Evil forbid, pastel colors." Harry almost begged, which made her snort.   
She had to admit it was a funny combination Harry and Ben being together. One was completely horrified with this whole thing, the other had done stuff like this his whole life.

"Relax, Harry." She said. "You'll still wear your beloved black and red."

"C'mon, love, I wouldn't ask you to wear something you hated." Ben said and then pecked his boyfriend's lips sweetly.

"Very cute, but stop that and let me take your measures, Harry." She hurried, already getting her measuring tape. "I already have Ben's, but I've never made any clothing for you."  
It was no secret that Evie loved getting new clients and, even though she was in a hurry, this time it was no different.

It turned out, Harry wasn't that difficult to work with. He didn't seem to be enjoying himself at all, but he wasn't making her job harder than it had to be either. He just stood there and let her work.

"So... uh, I guess I'm kinda sorry for that day I yelled at you and Jay." She said, more trying to find a subject to talk about than anything. "I mean, I do think you deserved to hear every single word I said, but I could have been more... classy about it."

The Alpha just snorted at her.   
"It's fine, it's been a while since that. Also, that was kind of a dick move of me." He said.

'Only kind of?' she thought, but decided against saying it out loud.   
"So, tell me what kind of clothing are you thinking about?" She asked and Harry immediately looked at Ben, waiting for him to answer.

"You can wear whatever you want, Harry." Ben said. "I'm already thankful you agreed to go."

Harry just shrugged, not really caring much about royal fashion.   
"I just don't want anything too fancy or prissy. I don't really want to look like a prince." He said, then seemed to think a bit before answering. "No offense to either of you."

"So, I think maybe a full black suit with a bright red tie?" She offered. "It will look good, but it isn't too complicated or even royal-like. And you get to keep your signature colors."  
He nodded, half-hearted. She just considered that a yes.

"What about you, Ben?" She asked. "Stick to the usual royal blue?"  
He nodded.  
"Yeah, and maybe add some golden details too?" The omega asked.

"Of course. I think the tie should be blue too, then I make some golden embroidery on the suit." Evie suggested, already getting her notebook to start on some sketches.

"That's great, Evie." He answered. She already knew that, but she appreciated when people were supportive of her clothes.

"Of course it is, all my fashion ideas are." She gloated, which make both boys laugh. "You guys will want the masks too, right?"

"Yeah, please." Ben said. "I was thinking maybe golden and white?"

"Perfect! It suits you perfectly, Ben." She exclaimed, already imagining the final piece and how stunning it would look. "Harry, how about we do a black and golden one for you? That way you two kind of match."

"I guess." Harry said. "I don't usually wear golden stuff, but at guess it'll do."  
Ben frowned.  
"If you don't like it, we can think of something else." The omega offered, probably fearing that his lover would be uncomfortable. "I mean it when I said I don't want you to wear things you hate."

"Nah, darling, it's fine. I promise." He assured, gently caressing his boyfriend's cheek. Who would have thought that Harry Hook had such a soft side? Well, only for Ben, but still. "I'm just not used to it, but I'm not opposed either."

"Well, guys, that's all info I need for today. If there's something you forgot to mention, text me or call me or tell me during school." The beta said, while taking some notes. "But I think we're done for now."

Ben smiled happily, while Harry kept the same poker face he had on for the most time he had been there. Well, he wasn't really on his element there.

"Thanks, Evie. I'm really sorry for the short notice." Ben said.

"Not your fault." The beta assured. "I can't believe Chad's parents decided to throw a ball so last-minute. I've never been so overworked before, everyone wants to wear my clothes to the event."

Ben made a face at that.   
"Sorry to add to that then." He said.  
She just shook her head lightly, indicating it was fine.

"So... that's it then? I'm free now?" Harry asked, his hopeful tone making Evie giggle a little. She just nodded.

Well, those two were really something else...

**JAY**   
Carlos, Gil and him had decided that that evening was a good time to have a date. And I mean a proper date, where they go out instead of staying in the dorm and making out. They didn't do that so often, but when they did, they made it count. 

It was Jay's turn to pick the activity. He always liked to try out the most Auradonian stuff in times like these, because he firmly believed his lovers deserved to get treated as good as royalty. If they found out it was too boring for them, well, then it was just one thing out of their list. They had all time in the world to experiment.

He had actually asked Ben beforehand what kind of thing couples did to hang out there and the King suggest, amongst other stuff, ice skating.   
It seemed like fun, so that's what he and his boyfriends would be doing that evening. 

"This place is so cool." Gil exclaimed as soon as they got there, looking fascinated with the how big the rink was and how the bright lights around it flashed beautifully.   
Carlos didn't say anything, but he looked just as fascinated.

In fact, Jay himself had his jaw dropped with how amazing the place looked. It wasn't even that crowded, so they would be able to have a lot of fun.

Putting the ice skates on was a little awkward, since none of the three had any idea how they worked at all, but an employee of the place helped them understand the equipment better.

Once they actually got into the rink... well, it was way harder than he had anticipated. Jay almost landed on his ass as soon he got in, but managed to recover his balance last-minute.   
Gil wasn't so lucky, but he was already laughing on the way down so things were mostly fine.

Carlos on the other hand was clearly a natural at skating. He was pretty bodily aware, a lot of that came from the dancing, and he seemed to be handling that well. He really was gracious.  
"Are you sure you've never done that?" Jay asked, eyebrows raised at how good his boyfriend was. The omega laughed.

"I'm pretty sure. It feels like a choreography, just on a very, very slippery surface." He said. "It's a nice challenge for me."

It was a challenge indeed. Jay could only go a few slides until he had to grab the bar for support again, and Gil was pretty much in the same situation. The three of them couldn't help but laugh at each other.   
"That's so much harder than it looks. Look at these people!" Gil pointed to to a beta couple who were doing swirls and other pretty professional looking stuff on the ice.

"Yeah... I'm still far from that." Carlos admitted. "They probably had a lot of practice before getting this good."

"Hey, but there are people who have no idea what they're doing either." Jay said, nodding his head in the direction of a boy slightly younger than them who had just fallen face first into the ice. Ouch.

"C'mon, I'll help you guys." Carlos offered and Jay took his hands immediately, trusting him completely. "Let's go around the rink once and then I'll come back here and help Gil."

Things went smoothly for the longest time, Carlos gave him a few tips on what to do with his legs to keep himself steady and also helped him to gain back his balance a couple of times.   
When they were almost finished though, Jay's feet slipped and Carlos tried to grab him and stop him from falling, but the Alpha was obviously heavier and they both ended up on the floor.

It didn't really hurt and all they did was look at each other and laugh, laugh so much they were having trouble getting up. Once they were finally up, they exchanged a sweet kiss, not quite a peck, but still without tongue.

Once they got to where Gil was standing, Carlos offered his hand for him to take.  
"You wanna try it too?" He asked.

Gil giggled, but shook his head.  
"I don't wanna make a fool of myself like Jay just did." He said, both omegas laughing as Jay gasped, faking offense.

"I can't believe this betrayal." He complained, but ended up laughing as well, not even a little bit upset about that. "I think I deserve some compensation, huh?"  
He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

Gil rolled his eyes, but came closer and pecked Jay's lips quickly.

Their evening was really something else. Jay had to remember to thank Ben for the suggestion, they all had loved the place, especially Carlos. And besides being genuinely fun, it was also a pretty romantic activity to do, many kisses exchanged between the three of them.

The Alpha managed to not fall again, but still sucked at ice skating. Gil fell on his ass again, even more clumsy than Jay, but he seemed alright with that. Carlos got better with every slide of the ice skates, it was honestly mesmerizing to watch him move.

Everything had been perfect.   
In fact... things had been perfect for the three of them for days, maybe even weeks. They spent more and more time together, their sexual life was _amazing,_ Gil had gone a while without any flashbacks or panic attacks, Jay and Gil were going well on tourney and Carlos was spectacular on the cheerleading team.   
Things were so good that it just seemed... it seemed like the calm before the storm, actually.

TheWeekend  
 **HARRY**  
Harry had never been so bored in his whole life. He had literally just arrived and math classes seemed like fun when compared to a royal ball.

He and Ben were wearing the perfect tailored suits Evie had made for them as well as their respective masks. He was surprised to find out his suit was pretty comfortable, he just didn't like the feeling of the tie, but he knew he looked good.   
Ben looked absolutely  _ gorgeous.  _ His royal blue suit with golden buttons and a white shirt underneath, plus the beautiful handmade embroidery on his shoulder's length suited him perfectly.

The masks weren't as uncomfortable as Harry thought they would be. His one had a black base with golden details, while Ben's had a white base with the same details. The masks matched perfectly, just like the two of them.

_He had to admit one good thing about the whole event: there were literally no reporters or paparazzi, not even in front of the castle. Apparently, the hosts wanted to make sure everything was really private and no guests were being bothered, point to Chad's family for that. So yeah, Harry had been deeply worried about the possibility of paparazzi tearing him down, __or_ _worse,_ tearing Ben down. But thankfully he had no reason to fear, there was no harm to their privacy.

"C'mon, baby, let's go eat something before you die of boredom here." Ben said, before taking Harry by the hand and leading him to huge fancy table. "You're gonna love the food here." It sure looked tasty.

The omega encouraged him to try some of the it and _holy shit,_ it wasn't like anything he had ever tasted before. If he thought that normal Auradon food was awesome, so much better than the crap they had to eat on the Isle, then whatever he just tasted was just divine. Another upside on the whole thing, clearly.  
"Good, right?" Ben asked, and the pirate just nodded excitedly. He felt like he could eat all of that alone.

"Hey, you two came." They turned around to see Chad behind them. "My parents are a little bit busy to talk to all the guests, but here I am."  
Harry had to contain a sigh when he saw Chad, he just didn't like that boy, for some reason.

"Tell your parents everything looks lovely, Chad." Ben said, all gracious and royal-like.

"And the food is delicious." Harry managed to make polite small talk for once in his life.   
He was ready for Chad to stay there and talk about, or gloat about, boring royal stuff, but thankfully the boy just nodded, thanked them and went away.

"The hosts don't usually have enough time to annoy us, Chad has lots of people to talk to." Ben explained, and then smiled at him brightly. "Thank you for making an effort." He looked so genuine, eyes shinning brightly at Harry.

"You're welcome, yer highness." He answered, placing a quick kiss on his boyfriend's forehead.

"I'm so grateful you're here. It means a lot to me." Ben said, wrapping his arms around the Alpha's neck. "I... I love you so much, Harry."

There was it again, that little four letter word who made him weak in the knees, made him completely desperate. Harry opened his mouth, but nothing came out, so he just adverted his eyes to the ground. He wanted to do something, he wanted to say something, but he couldn't.

He had never said those words to anyone and, before Ben, no one had said these words to him, not even his family. His father certainly would never do that, he wasn't the loving type at all, and Harry doesn't remember his mother doing it either.   
He didn't know how to deal with love. 

"I'm sorry if this made you feel uncomfortable." Ben said, a little hesitant. "I won't say it anymore if you don't want me to."  
No, Harry couldn't have that, he couldn't have his lover feeling like that. He kissed Ben passionately for a few seconds, before talking again.

"Hey, it's not that. I... I think I kinda like to hear it?" He said, and he meant it. It was good to know such an emotion was applicable to him. "I don't mind you telling me how you feel. It's just that I don't..."

"You don't feel the same. Which is fine, everyone has a different time." Ben concluded. "And if you never get to the point where you feel that for me... it's fine too. I like what we have going on here, we don't need to change anything."

But it wasn't like that. Harry felt something so strong for Ben and he almost sure that was love, the romantic kind of love that Harry never thought he would find, but somehow he just couldn't admit out loud. He was tongue-tied.   
But as he couldn't find a way to express himself, all he did was kiss the omega again.

"You two are disgustingly sweet, you know?" Harry heard Mal's voice behind him. He and Ben parted to find her and Evie looking at them with matching smirks on their faces.

Mal, who was probably going as Evie's plus one, was wearing a long off-shoulder dress, in a dark tone of purple. Her mask was the exact same tone of purple, with no details except for a lilac feather on the side.    
Evie wore a long mermaid-style dress, glittery all over and with silver threads falling down her shoulders along with an all silver glittery mask.

"We know we're the cutest couple around." Ben teased, giving his boyfriend a side hug.    
Evie giggled and Mal snorted at the comment.

"Tired of the the up-nosed princes yet, Harry?" Mal asked. "I swear I'm ready to bolt out of this place."

He laughed, but rolled his eyes.  
"Ben's presence is making this bearable I think." He explained, and Ben kissed his cheek in response.

"See? Absolute disgusting." Mal said, making all three of them laugh out loud.

"I have to admit that if someone told me a few months ago that Harry Hook would be attending a royal ball _and_ wearing one of my designs I would laugh at their face." Evie said, sounding impressed he had really showed up. In fact, Harry himself was surprised he was there.

"Don't forget the most shocking part: and dating the fucking King of Auradon." Harry added.

It seemed like there was yet another good thing about the ball; the company was good. Even though he, Mal and Evie stopped being friends around the age of nine, it was kind of nice to talk to them, now that it wasn't forbidden for Mal's gang and Uma's crew to interact anymore.    
It was surely a relief to talk to other VK's while being in that castle full of royals.

"Evie did a nice work with you two." Mal said, eyeing their outfits. "I don't think I've ever seen Harry look so formal."

"Probably because I've never been so formal." He said. "Your girl is really good." Both of them looked the other way, neither agreeing nor denying what he stated.   
He heard Ben snorting beside him.

All in all the ball was... almost good? Well, yeah, they still left early because Harry had had enough, but they weren't bothered by anyone, there were no reporters, the girls were fun to talk to, the food was absolutely delicious, no royal made any crude comment about Harry being there and he and Ben even got to dance together a little.    
It was so much better than Harry had anticipated.

He was intrigued actually. He went to a royal ball for the first time in his life, and absolutely nothing bad had happened, not even something eventful. Everything had been so... easy and peaceful.

Actually it almost felt like that brief peace before a crisis strikes...

THENEXTDAY   
**GIL**  
He and Ben had a geography project to work on together, and they had scheduled to start on that sunday afternoon.   
Gil was on the phone with Ben, to let him know he was almost done gathering the things he needed and they would be going to the castle, where they should work.

"I'm just having trouble finding my pencil-case." Gil said on the phone, angrily looking around the ship, hoping he didn't lose the item somewhere else. 

"You can use mine, it's fine." Ben assured. "We can look for yours later. Maybe you left it at school or something."

"Ok, then I guess I'll be-" Gil started saying, but got interrupted by a heavy knock on the door. Weird, someone had got into the ship?

"Is everything alright?" His friend sounded slightly worried at him suddenly stopping speaking.

"Yeah, there's someone at the door." He answered. And he was ready to leave it at that, when he heard a familiar voice.

"Son? Are you there?" It seemed like his dad was yelling in front of his door, inside the ship already. What the actual fuck?

"I think... I think my dad is here." He said, still a little hesitant. He had never invited Gaston over, he knew Harry and Uma wouldn't appreciate that.

"What?" Ben sounded as surprised as he was. "You want to reschedule our project? It isn't due until next thursday, after all. We could do it tomorrow."

Even though he knew Ben couldn't see it, he shook his head.  
"No, no, it's fine, I really have to work hard on this if I want a good grade. I'll just tell him I'm busy." He said. "I'll be in the castle in ten minutes, ok?"

His friend still sounded worried as he answered:  
"If you change your mind, give me a call, ok? Bye."

He hung up the phone, with a confused frown on his face. Why would his dad show up on his ship, out of the blue like that?  
"Son! I heard your voice, open up!" The man insisted, knocks getting louder.

Wearing the same confused expression, Gil opened the door.  
His dad looked a little dishevelled, which was unusual for someone who cared so much about appearances.   
"Dad... why are you here?" He asked slowly.

"Are your friends home?" Gaston asked instead, rubbing his hands together nervously and breathing quickly. Ok, something was definitely wrong.

"No, dad. They're getting supplies for the ship." He said, still trying to understand the man's strange behavior. "Now answer me, why you're here? Why would you jump inside my ship?"

"What? Can't a father check on his son anymore?" He let out a hysterical little laughter after that. Everything about that interaction was just so strange. "How about we have lunch? Like, right now, just the two of us?"

His father had already grabbed his arm when Gil said:  
"Hm... I already had lunch, dad. Do you know what time is it? Are you feeling okay?"

"Then let's grab a snack, son. Don't you think we should spend more time together?" He talked really fast, and started trying to drag the boy with him.

Gil yanked his arm back, getting free of his hold.  
"Dad, I can't now, ok? I have to work on a project with a friend." He explained. "But I can go to your house and make you dinner later. How about that?"

The man shook his head frantically, almost desperately.   
"It has to be now, ok? You need to come with me right now."  
That just wouldn't do.

"Dad, did something happen? You're being pretty weird. I won't go anywhere with you like this." The omega insisted.

Gaston clenched his jaw, quickly becoming angry with his son.  
 _"You will come with me."_ He said, through gritted teeth and using all of his Alpha voice. Ok, the omega was not expecting that.

Gil's first instinct was to start walking in his direction, but he used his hand to grab the doorway tightly, clawing against it even, not wanting to give in to the command. Whatever his father was up to, it certainly couldn't be anything good if it got him desperate enough to order him around like that.

The omega immediately started to feel a burning sensation on his chest, he was familiar with that from back when he still tried to resist the ex-captain's orders. Every second he fought against the biological need to obey, to submit, the burn grew stronger. It was painful and it made him dizzy.

His body wanted to give in and follow his dad to hell and back, but his mind, even though it was foggy, knew that whatever was happening couldn't be normal. He knew that if he went, he wouldn't be safe.   
"Father... what... why?" He tried to form coherent sentences, but he failed completely. The pain was becoming stronger in a way that clouded his thoughts and tears started to spill from his eyes. He didn't even understand what was happening.

Gaston sighed.  
"We're going to have to do it the hard way, right? It's a shame, really." The Alpha asked, but Gil had no idea what he was talking about. He could barely think with how dizzy he felt. "I wish I wouldn't have to do that, but you forced me to do it, you know?"

Just like that the man's fist crashed hard against his forehead. The blow, alongside with the dizziness, made him fall to the ground almost immediately.

And suddenly everything became pitch black. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: emotional trauma, kidnapping, mild violence, a parent being violent towards their child. 
> 
> Again, I'm so sorry. Be prepared for what comes next and leave a comment.


	17. Everything is shattering and it's my mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben notices something is wrong, Gil finds out what his dad wants, Gaston is the worst man alive and Ben makes a bad decision for himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all I'm so SO happy with the feedback from last chapter. Please, keep being amazing like that, it really means a lot to me as a writer💛 Also, yaaay over 100 thousand words! I can believed we reached this milestone, guys. None of this would be possible without you, I hope you're enjoying this ride as much as I am.  
> IMPORTANT: time starts to slow down from now on. Enjoy! ♡
> 
> WARNINGS: violence, human traffic, prejudice, family issues, sexual violence, objetification, 'gender-based' violence, bigotry, throwing up, self-worth issues, self victim blaming.

**BEN**   
He waited twenty minutes for Gil to arrive, but he didn't. Ben decided to call, but the boy didn't answer either.   
Ok, at that Ben was officially worried.

He tried to call a few more times, but once he realized he had been waiting for over forty minutes he just got up and went to the ship.  
Maybe it wasn't anything serious, maybe Gil was talking to his father and lost track of time, but Ben had a weird feeling in his chest that told him it wasn't it.

So, he got to the ship with hurried steps, now deeply worried about his friend.

The first thing he noticed as soon as he got in front of the cabin of the ship was that the door was wide open. That was weird, none of its three residents were used to do that.   
"Gil? Harry? Uma?" He called out, already entering the room, only to find out there was really no one there.

He looked around, trying to find anything out-of-place. Maybe Gil noticed he was late to meet with him and left in such a hurry that he forgot to lock the door on his way out?

After a few seconds trying to decide whether or not there was another unusual thing for him to see, he noticed some weird marks on the doorway. He slowly brushed his fingers against the marks, trying to understand what could have caused them.   
They looked fresh. Ben had been on the ship countless times, he would remember if they were there before.

"What in the world is this?" He murmured to himself, trying to think. He could feel there was something wrong.

Suddenly, something clicked. The marks looked like they had been done by nails, like someone was grabbing that piece of wood. Ben tried to repeat the motion he thought might have happened and it fitted perfectly with the marks he found.

So... someone had grabbed the doorway this hard? Was it Gil? And what for?  
Wait, he had mentioned his father coming to see him unexpectedly, so maybe Gaston wanted to take him somewhere he didn't want to go.

At this point Ben was already breathing hard with worry. He tried to call Gil again, just to check, hopping he was wrong about everything and his friend was actually just taking a nap or something and hadn't heard Ben come in.   
But the phone ringed and ringed and ringed and no one answered.

He had decided to call Harry, he swears he was planning on doing it, but when he looked down, he saw a dark red stain that looked an awful lot like _blood_ and it completely him paralyzed with terror.   
It wasn't a matter of _if_ his friends was hurt, but of _how bad_ it was.

The stain certainly wasn't that big, so it didn't seem to be enough to endanger his friend's life. He could have a little cut on his arm, or he could have hit his head or even fallen to the ground. There was no way to know.

In retrospective, he should have remembered to call Harry. Or maybe Jay and Carlos or even Uma. He shouldn't have gone after his friend alone.

But once he saw the small drips of blood on the floor he just panicked. He had promised all the VK's they would be  _safe_ in Auradon, there was nothing to fear here. Which means that if they weren't safe, it was on him. He should be the one protecting them.

And Gil wasn't just some nameless villain kid, he was one of Ben's closest friends. What good was in being a king if he couldn't protect his people, his own friends?   
It wasn't a conscious decision, it wasn't the smartest one either, but he knew he had to go and find his friend at that minute.

Ben had no idea what Gaston was planing, but it couldn't be anything good if he had to take his son by force like that. And the omega had a feeling that time was crucial for a moment like this.

He remembered that Gil had once mentioned the name of the village in which his father lived and Ben knew where it was. He didn't know exactly what house was Gaston's but he could find out once he got there.

Without a second thought, he left the ship running, heart beating like a drum and completely overcome with worry.

** GIL **  
"I took a huge risk for you! You had no right to anticipate the date for our arrangement, you hear me?" It was the first thing Gil heard when he start regaining conscience.

He opened his eyes really slowly, the light making said eyes hurt. In fact, his head also hurt _a lot_ , and he had never felt so dizzy before. Everything felt fuzzy.  
He also had no idea where he was or what happened.

"Yeah, the boy is here, of course. I don't play around." The voice went on. "We need to sort this out right now."  
It took him a while to understand it was his dad talking on the phone. The next thing Gil noticed, as soon as he had the strength to try to move, was that his hands were tied by a thick rope.

"Yeah, of course I will. As long as you have the payment ready." He heard his dad say, but he couldn't listen to the other person. "Can't keep him here too long. Twenty minutes, half an hour tops."

He looked around and realized where he was, in his dad's house.   
Slowly, the memories came back to him and he realized he had been kidnapped by his own father. But what for? What could Gaston get by doing this?

The man ended his phone call.  
"Oh, you're awake." He said, getting closer to his son, wincing slightly as he looked at him. "You hit your head on the ground when you fell, it's going to leave a nasty bruise."

He could barely concentrate on what was being said, all he could think was 'why?'.

"Dad... what you're... why did you..." His mind was so fuzzy, so he couldn't say anything coherent, but he tried.

"You insisted on being difficult." The Alpha explained. "I wouldn't have to hit you if you just obeyed like a good omega." His face flushed at that, the shame cutting through the fog clouding his mind.

"But... what do you, what do you... want?" He asked, not satisfied with the answer he got.

"It's simple, actually. You know how much it costs to have a nice big home here in Auradon? The kind I truly deserve?" Gaston. "Look around, I can't live in this meek little cabin anymore."

Gil was still drowsy and confused.  
"Then... why am I here?"

"I need to get all that money somehow." He explained. "And I've got a friend who's eager to spend some time with you."

Only then did Gil realize what was happening.  
"You're selling me off." It wasn't a question, but his father nodded anyway.

"Once the barrier was broken, every single omega from the Isle also moved to Auradon. And you know how this boring pieces of crap here think you all deserve equal rights and all that bullshit." He explained, and Gil flinched at his tone. "So, Alphas can't touch omegas like that on this side of the bridge. And we're all unhappy about that."

Gil could feel himself getting sick as he listened to the explanation. He should never have trusted Gaston, he should never even have reached out for him. Evil, he was so stupid.

"I am completely able to control myself, but not everyone is as great as me. Many of the Alphas and even betas who decided to stay living on the Isle, refusing to accept all the rules of Auradon, would be willing to pay a fortune to put their hands on a young omega such as you." He kept on talking. "So, when you contacted me out of the blue, I took it as the god-given gift that it is."

"How can you do this to me? I'm your own son." He complained, but there was no heat behind hid words, just sadness. He was too tired and confused to be angry.

"I told you the day you left my house that you weren't my son anymore and I meant it." The man's expression darkened as he said that.

Gil started to get tears in his eyes, he couldn't believe it was happening to him. He couldn't believe he had let it come to that point, or that he had ever thought they could be a family again.

"So you never changed, did you? You never... forgave me for being omega, did you?" He didn't know why he asked that, since the answer was clear already.

Gaston frowned slightly, like he was deep in thought.   
"I guess it's not really a matter of forgiveness, but of you accepting your place in this world." He explained. "But that place isn't worth of a son of mine."

Gil let the tears fall at this point. He felt like everything was a nightmare and he couldn't wait to wake up, to be over with that.  
Then, a doubt appeared on his mind.

"Who is it? Who bought me?" He asked, fearing the response.

"People call him Black Murphy. You probably know him, he used to work for Hook." Even though the situation was terrible from the start, _that_ was what made him truly desperate.

He couldn't be owned by someone from the old crew, he just _couldn't_. Murphy's face was one of the ones who appeared on his nightmares, one of the people he feared more than anything. Gil wouldn't survive that.

He must be so angry, all of them were. Gil helped organize an attack against them and gave his loyalty to a different crew. Shit, it was his fault the old captain was dead.   
That Alpha was going to destroy him for it and Gil already knew he wouldn't be able to take it.

"Please, please, dad, don't do this. Not him, father, please." He was talking and breathing too quickly. "I can't... dad, I can't do it."

"Don't call me that anymore, you hear me?" The man said. "And don't be dramatic, you're an o', of course you can do it."  
The boy was sweating from how nervous he felt.

"Listen, you... you can't do that. There are people now, ok? People who love me and will go after me." He tried to talk through the hurt in his chest. "You'll get thrown in prison if you do it."

Gaston threw his head back and honest to God laughed at his face.  
"Really? There are people who love you now? Do they love you enough to look for you on the Isle?" He teased. "Everyone who left the Isle hates it too much to come back, and people from Auradon are too afraid to go there. You're not worth the trouble, boy."

He sobbed, trying to shake his head and convince his father he was wrong.  
"No, no, they love me. My friends, my crew, my boyfriends..." He insisted, even though his words were cut by the sobs.

Gaston raised his eyebrows at that.   
"Boyfriends, as in plural?" He asked. Gil didn't say anything, but the man went on anyway."C'mon, Murphy is just a man, you won't even have two Alphas to satisfy. I just made your life easier."

Gil shook his head, wanting to tell his father it wasn't like that, that just one of them was an Alpha to begin with, but nothing would come out. He just cried harder.

The Alpha sighed.  
"Don't be like that. It's what every omega is meant to be and you know it." He said. "You're fulfilling your purpose while also helping me to get what I deserve."

He couldn't stand the thought of having his purpose in life be servicing someone from the old crew. The idea, the terror it brought him, started to make him nauseous.

"All you need to worry about from now on is being a good boy for him." He advised, then made a pause, stopping to think. "Or not. Black Murphy seems the type to like a feisty one."  
That was actually to much for the omega, who turned his torso to the side and threw up right there, his disgust manifesting physically.

"You little brat." Gaston exclaimed, taking him by the hair and moving him away from his mess. He was clearly pissed off. "It doesn't matter how gross you think he is, you have no fucking choice, ok? No one is coming after you, a little bitch like you is not worth it. So you're spending the rest of your life on that man's bed and that's final."

Gil's whole body shook, and he just kept on crying. What if it was true? What if no one ever found him? Or worse, what if they knew he was on the Isle but didn't think he was worth the risk? Yeah, he loved his friends and boyfriends, but he couldn't blame them if they decided they couldn't go to the Isle ever again, not even to help him.

Well, Uma still visited the Isle occasionally. She could try to take him back once she decided to visit her mother, right?  
"Uma... she'll come after you." He spatted out. "She's not afraid of the Isle."

"And why would she come back for you, huh? You're the weakest link in the crew, most likely only admitted because either they pitied you or they needed someone to cook and clean for them." He said, getting all over the boy's personal space. "You've been a liability for her and deep down you know it."

He always thought he was burden, he admitted that. But being a burden didn't mean he wasn't her friend.  
"She's... s-she's a friend." He explained, doing his best not to let his dad get into his head.

The man chuckled darkly.  
"But saving you is a whole lot of work, o'." He insisted. "Do you really think your precious friendship is worth all that much?"

He wanted to shout 'yes' firmly, to insist that Uma and Harry, that Jay and Carlos, that Ben all cherished his company enough to go looking for him.   
But after that... he wasn't even sure anymore. His mind was fuzzy and Gaston's words were heavy and meaning against him.

"C'mon, that son of a bitch already anticipated the day of the pursue and screwed things over for me. We need to be quick." The Alpha said. "Just let me grab a few things and we'll be able to go."   
His dad left the room in hurried steps and Gil had no idea what to do with himself.

He had to think fast. He knew he couldn't just run away, the door was locked and his hands were tied. But the omega didn't want to just accept his fate, go down without a fight. He needed to make sure that if someone went after him they would at least know where he was.

At that moment he realized he was leaning back against a wooden coffee table. It was a light color and it didn't look brand new at all... maybe he could try to scratch a message with his nails there?   
It seemed to be a long shot, but he needed to do something.

So he started to move his hands shakily and try his best to write ISLE with his nails, trying his best not to make too much noise. He planed to write 'help' too, but Gaston came back before he had the chance.

The man took him by the arm and made him get up, which he did with a struggle.  
"It's time. We can't keep the buyer waiting, right?" He said, and Gil gulped.

"Someone will see us, someone will notice." He warned, as a last attempt to make the Alpha see reason.

Gaston laughed.  
"Don't worry. We'll walk through the woods until we get to the bridge." He explained. "And since the barrier was destroyed, the bridge isn't monitored anymore."

It was it. There was nothing else he could do except hope and pray that someone would come after him, that someone would save him before he was broken beyond repair.

**BEN**  
Once he reached the village, he realized he had no idea what to look for. He didn't think Gil had ever mentioned how the house looked like.   
Deciding that the wisest idea was to ask someone, he knocked on the door of a little white house nearby.

A beta old lady, who looked really nice, answered with a smile on her face.   
"Hello, m'am." He greeted, trying to seem as composed as he could. "I'm a little lost here, could you give me a piece of information?" As a king, he had to learn how to stay calm in a moment of crisis.

"Of course." She said, then tilted her head a little and frowned. "Do I know you? You look a little familiar to me..."  
She was a very old lady, so her memory probably wasn't good enough to remember that he was actually the king. This was good, he didn't want to be recognized.   
He had a mission to follow through.

"I don't believe so. I've never been here before." He said, smiling politely. "Do you know which house is Gaston's?"

The lady's face darkened instantly.  
"Yes, I know, unfortunately. That man isn't too kind." She said. "It's the last cabin on the street, a little bit separated from the other ones, right before the corner."  
He thanked her quickly and started running towards the place. Her instructions were pretty clear, so it wasn't hard to find the house.

As the omega came closer, he noticed that the door and all windows were closed. Maybe there was no one there, or maybe Gaston just didn't want to be bothered.   
Could Ben be wrong about this? Maybe the villain didn't take Gil at all.

Once he got close enough to knock on the door, he crinkled his nose a bit, smelling something unpleasant there.   
"Gil? Are you there? Can you let me in?" He yelled, knocking on the door fiercely. "Is someone there?"

No one answered and the boy got even more worried.   
He started banging on the door in despair, almost hurting his hands on the process.

After a while, he realized no one was going to answer him, so be had to break the door down. He tried to kicked it down at first, but wasn't strong enough to do so.

So he looked around, trying to find something he could use. The porch outside had two chairs, a small table and a log, for some reason. He supposed it was meant to look rustic or something.   
He didn't think twice before taking the log and using it as a battering ram. It took some work, but he eventually managed to break in.

Once he was inside the house he found the source of the bad smell he sensed earlier. Apparently, someone had thrown up in the living room.   
Weird, from all stories he's heard of a Gaston the man was a perfectionist, didn't seem like the the type to leave a mess in his house and then leave like nothing happened.   
Maybe the man was in a hurry.

Ben started yelling and searching on other rooms.   
"Gil? Are you here?" He shouted, but heard nothing in return.

He needed to at least find a proof that Gil had been there, before he went out of his mind. Besides, if he found out where Gil had been maybe that would lead him to where his friend was at the moment.

Most of the house looked completely untouched. The bed was made, the bathroom was clean and the kitchen was shining. The only room who had any indication someone had been there was the living room.   
He concentrated on trying to find something there.

He searched for pieces of clothing or even bits of hair, but found nothing. He wasn't even sure what he was doing.

After a few minutes, when he tried to look underneath the coffee table, he noticed that there was something written, or rather scratched, on one of the legs of said table  
The word ISLE was written there, with irregular lines like the person was struggling to do so.   
A little bit under the word, there was also something that resembled the letter H. It seemed like the person tried to write something else, but couldn't finish.

It had to be Gil who wrote this. Why would Gaston scratch his own furniture? No, it meant Ben wasn't being paranoid, Gil's father had really kidnapped him.   
He was pretty sure the second word was supposed to be 'help'.

So, did 'Isle' meant that that's where the man was taking him? It was the most likely reason and the thought made Ben panic. Gil should never have to go back to that place, he was traumatized enough. What if he found one of his attackers there?

Ben needed to make sure his friend was safe, whatever it takes.  
But this time he actually called someone.  
"Hey, darling. How you're do-" Harry said, sounding cheerful through the phone.

"Where did Gaston used to live?" He interrupted, not really having time for anything else.

"What the hell?" His boyfriend said, and he couldn't be blamed for being so confused.

"Back on the Isle. I need you to tell me in detail where did he live." The omega explained. "It's important."

"Right when you enter the Isle there's this small tunnel. Enter there, turn left and it's the biggest house on the street. It still sucks though." He said. "But why the fuck would you need to know that?"

"Gil's gone. I'm pretty sure Gaston kidnapped him. They might be going back to the Isle right now." Ben explained. "I'm going after them."

"You're not. You can't go there alone, Ben! Only the worst of the worst decided to stay, so it's even more dangerous than before." Harry was starting to sound hysterical. "Last time you went with three people and we still managed to kidnap you."

"Harry, I have no idea what that man is planning to do. We can't waste any time, it could be decisive." He insisted.

The Alpha sighed.   
"Fuck... I knew reuniting with that man was a bad idea... Oh evil." He sounded distraught. "Please, let me go there and stay where you are."

"I'm closer to the barrier, I won't just wait here." He said, decided. "Please, just warn Uma, Jay and Carlos, they need to know. And tell the guards that there is a possible kidnapping going on."

"I'll do that. But I'm coming for you right after, you hear me?" He was frantic. "Please... stay safe."  
Ben agreed, even though he knew he couldn't promise anything.

**HARRY**  
He ran his fingers through his hair in despair.   
"What is it? Harry, what happened?" He heard Uma calling him distantly, but he couldn't focus enough to answer her.

They were in the middle of the street, coming back from getting food and and shopping for some things for the ship, but he dropped all the bags on the ground.

"What the fuck, Harry? Answer me." She insisted.

He took a deep breath. This was not the time to go out of his mind, he needed to act.   
"Gil and Ben are in trouble." He said. "Ben thinks... he thinks Gaston took Gil back to the Isle."

"Like kidnapped him?" She asked and he nodded, still distraught. "Fuck. Evil, I knew that man was a piece of shit."   
He felt his hands getting clammy from how nervous he was. The two most important omegas in his life were in great danger.

"Ben is going after him, Uma. He's going to the Isle." Harry almost yelled, barely noticing his tone. He felt like his heart could stop working at any minute. "He told me to talk to Jay and Carlos and to warn the guards, but he's not waiting for backup."

Uma breathed out a low 'fuck' behind her breath, looking just as worried as he was. But she tried to take hold of the situation. She was the captain for a reason.

"Listen to me. I'll tell his boyfriends, you talk to the guards." She planed. "Then we both go the Isle, ok? But we need to be quick. Does it seem like a plan?"  
He nodded again, not really thrusting his voice, not with the lump on his throat.

They needed to act fast. Ben was right about how important time was, especially when they didn't know anything about the situation.   
"Ok, go to the castle, I'll go back to the ship and call them." The girl said and Harry was practically bolting out of there.

He knew Uma wasn't as calm and collected as she seemed; they had always been like that. She took care of the situation rationally and he let his emotions run wild. That was her way of showing she cared, and he had always been grateful for that, that day even more than usual.

Even though he was running as fast as he could, it seemed like the castle had never been more distant than it was at the moment.  
It felt like it took an eternity to finally reach the place. When he did so, he was completely breathless.

The two guards on the front door looked alarmed, trying to understand what was going on. Probably trying to perceive whether he was a threat.

"I need to talk to the head of the guards... or maybe to Belle and Adam. I don't know, I need to talk to someone, there's an emergency." He said, breathing quickly. The guards shared a look, clearly thinking the boy was crazy. "The King is in danger!" That seemed to do the trick.

"I'll get all three of them here." One of the guards said. "What's your name?"

"Harry Hook. I'm Ben's boyfriend." He explained. "Be fast, alright?"

Harry rubbed the nape of his own neck, unconsciously, from all the stress he felt. Waiting for the guard to come was making him more anxious than anything.

What if no one believed him? No, no, Ben was the king. If there was the slightest doubt he could be harmed the kingdom would move mountains to stop it, right? Harry hoped so.

He couldn't help but think this was his fault somehow. If he had been more incisive with Gil about how his dad was a bad guy and shouldn't be trusted again, maybe the omega would have listened. Maybe he would have been safe and sound at home instead of lost somewhere on the Isle.

Also, if he didn't give Ben Gaston's address he wouldn't know where to look for and would _have_ to wait for backup, whether he liked it or not. That familiar sting of self-hatred started made itself present in the Alpha's chest.   
Well, he could hate himself as much as he wanted, it would bring neither Ben nor Gil back to safety.

He had no idea for how long he actually waited, but after a while Belle, Adam and a guard he presumed to be the leader came running from inside the castle.

"What happened to my son? Where is he?" Belle yelled, eyes shining with tears without even knowing what was happening.

"Did you do something to him?" Adam's tone was accusatory, but Harry didn't even care. He had other things to worry about.

"Gil is missing, Ben believes his father is guilty of that. So he went to the Isle alone to get him back." He explained, expeditiously. Not even stopping to catch a breath. "I tried to convince him to wait for someone, but he didn't. He's out there and he doesn't know how to survive the Isle."

Belle started sobbing immediately, while Adam was fuming.  
"How did you allow this to-" He was in the middle of a scolding when his wife interrupted him.

"Adam, don't. Just d-don't. Harry is his boyfriend, not... not his keeper." She said, trying to contain her crying. "Our little boy is out there a-alone. There is no time for this."  
Adam kept his mouth shut after that.

"I'm going to organize a rescue mission for the king." A guard said.

"And for Gil too. Don't forget about him, he may not be a royal, but he's an innocent. He doesn't deserve to be out there alone either." Harry was quick to add, sick with the thought of the up-nosed royals just caring about saving their own people.

"I'm sorry, you're right. I'm organizing a mission to save them both." The man said. "I hate to ask that of a kid, but I think your help would be greatly appreacited, since none of us know the paths of the Isle very well."

Harry frowned.  
"Of course I'm going in there too. It's my boyfriend and my best friend in there." He said, harshly. "Uma wants to go. And also Jay, probably."   
All three of them nodded, knowing that VKs would know the area better.

"Wait... you mean Gil as in the son of Gaston?" Adam asked, just now realizing the connection. Harry winced before nodding. "We can't let that man get his hands on my son."  
He spoke viciously, and the pirate didn't want to think about how Gaston might want to use Ben to seek revenge.

"I'll get my soldiers ready." The guard said. "Kid, wait for us on the bridge, we're going to be quick. Your grace, I recommend for you and your husband to stay in the castle and wait for the case that the King comes back on his own."

It seemed like they were getting ready for a war.   
And maybe they were...

**UMA**  
Once she got to the ship her head was spinning. She couldn't believe she had failed to protect Gil again.

She took the ship's telephone in her hands, taking a deep breath before making the call she needed to do.   
With only a few rings, Jay answered cheerfully.   
"Hey, babe." Well, he obviously thought it was Gil calling, which made sense. In any other circumstance it was hard to imagine her or Harry calling them.

"I think you should sit down." She said, very slowly.

"Uma? What?" Jay asked, sounding so surprised. "Did something happen?"

"Do as I said, ok?" She told him, staying as calm and collected as possible. "I need you to stay calm."

"Fuck, Uma. You're worrying me here." He said, voice full of suspicion. "Fine, I sat down. Now, what's happening?"

"Gil is missing. We think Gaston has him." She explained.

"What? How could he be missing? He was supposed to be working on a project with Ben." Jay said, disbelief all over his voice. He was in denial.

"He isn't. Ben went after him and now both are somewhere on the Isle." She explained. "There's no reason to believe they're hurt, but we have to act now."

"Fuck, on the Isle? Uma... he can't be there again. He has been through so much." Jay was clearly in despair and she couldn't blame him. "dammit, do we have a plan?"

"We do. Harry went to talk to the Authorities, we wait for him on the bridge and then get in there to save them." Uma said.

"Ok, I can do that. Fuck... I'll just talk to Carlos first." After that she heard a faint sound of something shattering. Jay had probably broken something in a moment of anger. Again, she couldn't blame him.

"Good, do it fast." She said, and without a warning hung up the phone.

Then it was like something clicked inside of her.   
She had been worried about Harry, then worried about having a plan, then worried about telling Jay. It was only once the call was over that she started to consider what _she_ was feeling.

She began to cry right that moment, ugly sobs rocking through her body.   
She loved her boys, it was her job to protect them, and she couldn't believe Gil was in such a vulnerable state again. He was probably the sweetest person Uma had ever seen and he didn't deserve all the bad things that happened to him.

She couldn't help but let her mind wander back to the day she and Harry had found Gil all curled up and with tears streaming down his face, trying to hide from them, the same day they found out what the other crew did to him.   
He had always been taller than Uma, but at that moment he seemed so fucking small and defenceless. She didn't know what she would do if they had to see him this defeated again.

After a few deep breaths and much self-control she started to dry the tears with the palm of her hand. She couldn't stay there and cry for longer, Gil needed her. Harry and even Ben also needed her.

She was the captain. The rock who supported everyone on times like that, the master mind behind the plan. Uma had to be strong, not only for herself, but also for everyone who depended on her.   
It was hard to be a rock, but she could do it. She would do it so the people she loved didn't have to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... are you mad at me? Yeah, angst coming back for our fic with full force. Mind the tags for this and for the next few chapters (and remember the pace is slower than usual right now).  
> Please, don't forget to motivate the author with some reviews♡


	18. I'm so unprepared, I'm fucking scared

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben tries to save his friend, Gil has to confront someone from his past and everyone who loves either of them is freaking out with worry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the wonderful comments from last chapter! You guys make my heart full♡  
> This is an angsty chapter, so mind the warnings.  
> Enjoy and, please, stay safe during these hard times♡  
> WARNINGS: kidnapping, 'gender' based violence, sexism, attempted rape, sexual assault, self victim blaming, human traffic and overall dark angst.

** GIL **   
He still couldn't believe what was happening, he wanted nothing more than for that to be just a nightmare.   
He walked through the bridge like he was on the death row, and as he arrived on the Isle things seemed oven worse than they used to be.   
Of course, the ones who decided to stay permanently were the the worst ones, the villains who knew they couldn't live in Auradon without being thrown in jail for something.

Once they arrived in Gaston's old house, the man threw him on the ground like an old bag. It didn't really hurt physically, but he hated getting the confirmation that his father not only didn't see him as a son, but also barely saw him as human at all.

"You better stay here and be a good boy while I go make one last call." The Alpha said. "Your new owner should be here soon."

That was absolutely terrifying. All the time he worked for the old crew, it did seem like they owned him, body and soul, and it was _horrible._ But they didn't actually pay for him, they just took advantage of the situation.  
He could only imagine how bad he would feel once he was actually sold like an object.

He could vaguely hear Gaston calling someone on the phone, but he wasn't focused enough to really listen to anything.  
He just wanted to go home...

He had absolutely no idea how much time passed while he just sat there, completely unmoving, waiting for his father to come back to the room and all hell break loose.

Suddenly, he saw a figure on the window. He couldn't make out who it was, but he was on the Isle, which meant that it was either a person hiding from someone else or a person planning to attack another.   
Only, the figure didn't go away, but rather started trying to take the window off or something.

Was someone trying to break in? Well, it wouldn't be too hard, that window had been half-broken since Gil was a kid. Just like most things on the house.   
A harder push was going to make the window get totally broken.

It took a little while for the person to manage to do it, but eventually the window was off of its hinges, the person taking it in his hands awkwardly before it could crash on the ground.   
Once the person used that space to get in the house, Gil's jaw dropped.

"Ben?" He asked, shocked to see his friend there. "What the fuck you're doing here?"   
Ben clearly wasn't used to doing stuff like that, falling on the ground as he tried to get in.

"Getting you out." Ben said, getting and up and approaching Gil. "Thank Goodness you're okay."

As his friend tried to untie his hands, Gil said:  
"You shouldn't be here, it's dangerous." After a small pause, he added. "But thank you for coming."

"You're welcome. I couldn't stand the thought of you being hurt." Ben said, having a hard time to untie Gil's hands. "God, this is so much harder than I thought. "

"What the hell is happening here?" Gaston chose that exact moment to get into the room and fuck, they were _screwed._   
Ben immediately stopped what he was doing, eyes wide with fear.   
Gaston approached the boy with fire in his eyes.

"Dad, don't hurt him, please. It's my fault Ben's here, ok? He didn't do anything." Gil begged, eyes getting wet with tears. "Please... let him go."

"Wait... you mean Ben as in King Ben?" He said, getting so, _so_ close to his friend, who just stood there, petrified. "You're Belle's son, boy?"

He stroked Ben's cheek with his hand, almost gently. The omega only nodded.   
"I can see the similarity..." The Alpha went on. "Just as beautiful as his mother."

Gaston's eyes got hazy and he had the same look he always did when he started to dwell on Belle, when his obsession reached its peak and he would spend all day, sometimes all week, talking about her non-stop.   
This couldn't be good, there was literally no way in hell this was good.

"He's the King, dad! Let him go or everyone will come after him!" He yelled, trying to take his father's attention away from the boy.

But it was in vain. Gil knew that look, he was already too far gone.   
The problem was, when he used to have these moods there was a magic barrier separating him and Belle, but know there was nothing to keep him away from Ben. Nothing to force him to control himself.   
He could do whatever he wanted.

The man grabbed Ben's shoulder firmly, and brought him closer to himself, scenting his neck.   
Ben immediately started to try to get free of his hold, disgust written all over his face.  
"Let go of me, you psychopath!" He yelled.

Before Gil could advise his friend not to do that, Gaston had already backhanded the boy so hard, he had to lean on the wall not to fall.

"And a disrespectful little omega, just like his mother." The man complained. "Don't worry, honey. I'll teach you how to be a proper o'."

Ben was still a little stunned after being attacked. Fuck, the boy was soft, a royal, he had no chance against someone from the Isle.

Gaston took advantage of the boy's dizziness to tie his hands too.   
"Perfect. As soon as the buyer shows up and take Gil away, it'll be just the two of us." The man said, caressing Ben's face again. "I can't wait to break you in."

With that, Gaston left the room, probably to call that Murphy guy again. 

When Gil looked over to check on Ben, he was met with the strongest wave of guilty he had ever felt. Not only was his face red from the hit, but one of Gaston's rings had left a cut on his cheek.

"I'm so sorry, Ben... this is all my fault. I'm... I'm so sorry." He was crying hard. "I never wanted for this to happen... you d-don't deserve this."

Ben looked a little numb, like he wasn't really there.   
Gil thought he wasn't going to get an answer, but after a while Ben started to talk, slowly.   
"I should have listened to Harry." He said, eyes still distant, a single tear slipping. "I should have waited for him. I'm sorry, Gil... I tried to save you, but I only ruined everything."

Before he could say anything, they both heard a heavy knocking on the door. Gil gulped, knowing damn well who it was.

Gaston came to the room so he could open the door for the man.  
"Where is he?" Black Murphy asked immediately.

Gaston smiled wickedly and gestured for him to enter the house, then pointed at the spot where the two omegas were sat.

Murphy smiled.  
"What's this? Two for the price of one?" He asked, looking between the two of them.

Gil noticed that it was only at that moment that Ben fully realized what was happening. He saw the moment that it clicked for him they had become merchandise.

Gaston's jaw clenched in anger.  
"No, Murphy, that one is mine. You get exactly what you pay for." He said.

Black Murphy squatted close to Gil and the boy feel like he couldn't breathe anymore. His eyes were as cold as Gil remembered, and he felt like he was on that ship again.   
The man touched his face, trying to dry some of the tears, and the omega started to shake, both in fear and disgust.

"Never thought I'd be able to get my hands on you again. Thought you'd be able to get rid of us, huh?" He laughed, breath smelling like cheap alcohol. "Such a shame the captain isn't alive to see it... you know you're going to get punished for it, right?"

Gil closed his eyes, not wanting to stare at the man any longer, and just let the tears fall quietly. He just sat there and trembled, completely defeated.

"That's enough. If you want to take him home, then you better pay up." Gaston warned.

The other Alpha rolled his eyes, taking an old bag that Gil hadn't even noticed out of his shoulder and handing it over for Gaston.

The man opened it with a big smile on his lips. Gil couldn't see what was inside of it, but he could guess it was either gold, money or some expensive jewels. Gaston would only go through all that work for something really expensive.

"That's better. He's yours now." Gaston said. "I'd recommend keeping him tied up. Otherwise he may try to scape."

The man nodded, then grabbed Gil by the hair, making him stand up. The omega felt like he was about to collapse at any moment.

"Gaston, please. Gil is your son, don't do this to him. You can't treat him like that, he's not an object for you to sell." Ben tried to intervene, but only managed to get another slap across the face.

"Don't be insolent, boy." The man warned. "I can do whatever the hell I please." Ben stayed quiet at that, knowing it wasn't wise to keep confronting the Alpha.

Black Murphy got tired of waiting, and just took Gil by the arm, deciding to get out there, now that he had already got what he wanted. 

"I can't believe you thought you could get away from us, you dumb bitch. You know I'll have to tell all the others about this eventually, right? You owe them too." He said. "And don't you even think about screaming."  
At that he showed Gil the knife he kept in his pockets. But it wasn't like the boy had been planing to scream in the first place, he knew no one on the Isle would care.

It was good while it lasted, you know? The sense of security and love, the safety, the belief that he was actually worth something, that he deserved as much respect as any other human. He would miss these things.   
But there wasn't any other way for this to end. He was so stupid to think he could be happy, he could be more than a useless whore. As he slowly processed what was happening to him, he started to think that this was meant to be. He had been out of there living a life that wasn't meant for him and the universe had to fix that.

All he has always done was worry and burden those who cared about him. Now, this wouldn't happen because no one would care about him anymore. They shouldn't have done it in the first place.  
He shouldn't have gotten carried away with the shinning promises Auradon had made, happiness just wasn't for people like him.

And he was almost grateful for his father's reminder.

**JAY**  
He hung up the phone and it was like all the weight of the world was on his shoulders. He felt like he couldn't breath.

Carlos looked particularly worried once he saw his expression. How would he even tell him the news?  
"Is everything ok, babe?" The omega asked, frowning at how desperate Jay looked.

Jay shook his head, deciding to just say it at once.  
"Nothing is ok." He said, trying hard to control his breathing. "Gil is missing. He and Ben are on the Isle right now."

"What? Why the fuck would they be there?" The omega asked, getting up from the bed quickly, just as worried as Jay himself.

"Gaston has Gil... fuck, he took him to the Isle, like kidnapped him." Jay said, starting to pace around. "Why would he do that?"

Carlos' jaw dropped. Neither of them could imagine that something like that would happen. Everything had been wonderful for the three of them until that moment.   
"Evil, I can't believe this." He said, voice cracking. "What if... what if he's hurt? Like, seriously hurt?"

"Uma said there's no reason to think so, but still... fuck, what does Gaston even want?" The Alpha said. They should never have allowed that man to get close to Gil again. They should have known that man wasn't trustworthy. "I'm meeting Uma and Harry at the bridge. We're going there to look for them."

"I'm going with you." Carlos declared confidently, making his boyfriend stop in his tracks.

"What? Are you nuts?" He asked completely terrified of having both Gil and Carlos back at that awful place. "I won't let you go there again."

"What? Just because I'm an omega I can't help you? He's my boyfriend too." He complained, a single tear running down his face. "I need to help somehow."

"Yeah, you're right, it's because you're an omega. But not because I think an omega can't handle it, I know how strong you are. But you know how you guys were treated back there, we have no idea if things got better or worse. What if someone attacks you?" Jay let out a deep breath. "I can't... I can't deal with you both being there, alright? I can't take it, babe, I just can't."

"And I can't stand here and do nothing, Jay." The omega explained, with a deep pain in his voice.

"You won't be doing nothing. How about this, you call the girls and say they should come here. Tell them what happened and the three of you can wait here, in case he manages to run away and comes looking for us." He suggested. "Please, babe... I can't live knowing both of you are in danger."

Carlos sighed, clearly displeased with not being able to do more to help. But he ended up nodding, knowing it was most likely for the best that he stayed at the dorm.   
"Ok, but please be safe, alright?" The omega begged. "I need you both coming back home alive."

Jay gave him the quickest peck and then was bolting out of the door, faster than he ever had before.

He tried his best to be focused along the way, but the ache in his chest was too much. He had no idea what was going on, why Gaston would want to kidnap his own son. He had never showed the boy too much interest, anyway. It was Gil who reached out to him first. Why would he do this now?

Just the day before they been so happy. Things were going so well for them, how did everything fall apart so quickly? One day they were laughing and learning how to ice skate together, the other Gil was missing somewhere on the Isle. Just when they thought they were free of that place and every bad thing that happened there.

Jay ran all the way towards the bridge, knowing every second counted if he wanted to find Gil soon. Once he got to his destination, Uma was already standing there, chewing on her nails from nervousism.

"Do you have news from them? Where are we even looking for, in the first place?" He didn't even greet her, just started asking away. He was too worried to think about anything else but Gil's safety.

She shook her head.  
"We don't know anything, except for what I already told you." Uma explained. "I suppose we're going to Gaston's old house first, but that's all I know."

Before he could even think of adding something, they both noticed that Harry was already rapidly approaching the bridge. And he was being followed by at least a dozen guards. Good, they would need all help they could get.

All guards looked all composed and professional as ever, probably being trained to deal with all kinds of stressful situation. Harry, on the other hand, looked as devasted as Jay himself felt.

"We're here on a rescue mission. This could be very dangerous and it's unfortunate to have children involved, but we need you to show us the way there. No one from Auradon knows the Isle the same way you know it." The main guard announced. As if they could ever stop the three of them from participating. "I believe the first place we should look for is the house of the suspect."

"I'll lead the way." Uma said, acting every bit like the captain she was. "It's not too far, but we need to run. We have no idea if they're hurt."

That being said, she started to take hurried steps towards the Isle, everyone following her on the same rhythm. Jay could only pray that things would work out.

**CARLOS**  
He could barely breathe, he could barely think. Being a VK meant having to deal with the fact that your parents are not good people, but experiencing that is absolutely terrible.   
He had so many possibilities in his head for why the fuck would Gaston be interested in kidnapping his own son, and all of them made his heart hurt.

He was currently in his bedroom, curled up between Mal and Evie.   
He had just told them the news and both of them were absolutely shocked. Mal was so angry, not believing that guy had the audacity to kidnap Gil, and Evie was just plain paralyzed.

"He's going to be okay, Carlos." Mal promised, as she gently run her fingers through his hair. "We can't think of the worst, we have to believe everything is going to be okay."   
He wanted to be hopeful, he really did, but it was so hard.

"What do you think Gaston is up to?" He asked, deciding not to address how hopeless he felt."It can't be something good. He must have a plan behind this."

"That man only cares about himself, but I don't think he's unnecessarily cruel." Evie said. "I don't he'd hurt Gil without getting anything from it. There is something in it for him."

"She is right, 'Los." Mal agreed. "He probably has a motive to do this. We just need to figure out what it is."

Maybe he could help that way? Trying to understand what is Gaston's reasoning.

"Maybe he wanted for Gil to do something for him? I don't know, work on something." Evie suggested. "From what I've heard, he is much of a bigot. Maybe he doesn't want to do what he considers to be 'omega work' and went after the closest one he has."

It was a possibility. Just like everything else in the world, since they knew practically nothing about the situation.   
"Maybe, but why take him to the Isle, then?" He asked. "It doesn't make a lot of sense."

"Maybe he just went batshit crazy." Mal suggested."After all that time on the Isle and then suddenly getting free could have been too much for him to deal with."

This was a stronger possibility. Many people already entered the Isle full of issues, he doesn't doubt that with times things would get worse. Carlos had watched it happen to his mother for years, after all.   
He wasn't a stranger to this concept.

"I think it has something to do with either money or power. That's the type of man I imagine Gaston to be." Evie said. "Like, maybe he thinks Gil has money he doesn't know about or he knows Gil is friends with the King and wanted to use that somehow."

This made lots of sense. Gil had talked about how his father was self-centered more than once, so it wouldn't come as a shock if he wanted to hurt his own son as a way to get something he wanted.

But the part about Ben didn't add up.  
"He had no way to know Ben was going after him." Carlos said.

They went a few minutes in an uncomfortable silence that Carlos was desperate to get rid of. Silence meant that he had time to think, and if he thought too much about how scared and lonely his boyfriend must be...

"Guys, exactly how fucked up are we assuming Gaston is?" Mal asked, a painful look on her face.

"Why? What are you thinking about?" He asked, dreading her answer already.

"I think we're ignoring the fact that Gil is an omega and Gaston is an Alpha." She started, choosing her words carefully. "I've been to the Isle two times after the barrier was opened and all omegas left that place. Maybe he got desperate now he can't hurt omegas like that anymore and just..."

Carlos' head was spinning. It couldn't be this, Evil, _it couldn't._  
He knew Gaston was evil, but to want to touch his own son like that?

Silent tears slide down his cheeks just from thinking about the possibility.   
"Hey, 'Los. It might not be it, it was just something that crossed my mind." Mal said, trying to cheer her friend up.

"I don't think Gaston would do that." Evie piped in. "He may be creepy, but he's also obsessed with the idea that he's perfect. I don't think incest falls into that mindset. Besides, if he wanted to do that he wouldn't have kicked Gil out once he presented."

Yeah, Evie was right.   
Besides, if the man wanted to do that, why would he take Gil to the Isle? He's so confident in his abilities he wouldn't think he could be caught even if he committed a crime inside of Auradon.

Suddenly, something clicked inside Carlos' brain.

"Mal... what did you say about the Isle being without omegas now?" He asked, having trouble controlling his breath.

"Yeah, all of them left, of course. Most Alphas are mad about it." She explained. "So many Alphas used to abusing omegas all the time, but now they know they can't do it in Auradon, and there's no omega for they to hurt on the Isle either."

_Fuck._  
"How desperate are they?" Carlos asked, feeling his heart hurt.

"Oh, very. It's like most of them can't stop complaining about it." Mal said. "Bunch of disgusting perverts."

"Guys... I... I think I know what he's up to." Carlos announced, trying so hard to not to cry. "We said before that... that Gaston was probably going after money or power. What if... he took Gil to the Isle so he could rent or sell him to those Alphas?"

The girls looked shocked, but he could see in their eyes how much it made sense to them.

"There's no greater power than having something no one else has." Evie said. "Evil, why didn't we think of that before?"  
It seemed so obvious now.

Carlos knew he needed to do something. He couldn't just sit there with that information and do nothing about it. Gil had been through so much, they needed to get to him before Gaston lets anyone lay a single finger on the boy.

He got up and got his phone to call Jay and tell him the conclusion that Mal, Evie and him had reached. But, of course, Jay didn't pick up the phone. He was in the middle of a mission.

Carlos tried again anyway.  
"'Los, he's not going to answer." Evie said, voice as soft as she could muster. "He's on the Isle looking for Gil right now, nothing is going to stop him."

"But he needs to know!" He insisted. "They all need to know, so they can... I don't know try harder."

"They are already giving all they have, ok? Jay, Uma and Harry all love Gil, they wouldn't do less than their absolute best to bring him and Ben back to safety." Evie said. "They don't need any extra information for that."

Carlos took a deep breath.  
Again, Evie was right. He trusted Jay to do this, and he even trust Harry and Uma too. He knew they would fight with everything they had to bring both omegas home in safety.

But still, he felt like he needed to do something, so he left a message in Jay's voicemail.

"Hey, babe. I... I don't know if this is going to help or anything, but I needed to let you know." His hands trembled as he held the phone. "Me and the girls think we know why Gaston did that. We think he's going to either sell or rent Gil for other Alphas. Just... make sure it doesn't happen, ok? I love you."

There was nothing else he could do now, except wait and that terrified him. He knew Jay was right for insisting he stayed, but he couldn't help but feel trapped, like he ought to be there helping them find Gil but he couldn't.

Only time would tell what would happen...

**BEN**  
As soon as Gil and that strange man left, Ben felt dread in a way he had never felt before. Both for himself and his friend.

He _should_ _have_ listened to Harry. What did he managed to archive? Gil was still in just as much trouble as he had been before Ben showed up, and now he was tied up and defenseless too.   
He was too useless to save his friend and now he was at risk too. What a savior he was, right?

The only comfort he had was the fact he had at least let someone know where he was. Not just anyone, but Harry, who he knew would do all he could to bring Ben and Gil back to safety. He had to believe help was coming soon.

Gaston had left the room, for some reason, and Ben was really glad for that. The man was creepy in every sense of the word and he wanted distance from someone like that.    
The way he talked to or about Ben, and even omegas in general, was absolutely terrifying.  He couldn't believe someone as sweet as Gil had been raised by a monster like Gaston.

Ben tried to wiggle his hands and somehow get free but, of course, he didn't manage to do it. He was just so desperate to find a way to leave that place before the Alpha had any ideas...

Unfortunately, it didn't take long for Gaston to come back, a rather wicked smile on his lips.  
He kneeled on the ground, in front of Ben's face.   
"You're such a pretty little thing, aren't you? Beauty is really a hereditary trait." He said, grabbing Ben's cheeks forcefully. "Such a pretty mouth. Maybe you'll get to show me what it can do later, huh?"

Without even stopping to think, Ben spit on the man's face.  
If Gaston thought he was going down without a fight, then he was completely mistaken.

The man used his hand to clean up his face, pure fury written on his expression.  
"You insolent little bitch! You're just like your mother, disobedient and disrespectful." He yelled. "But you can bet I'll teach you your place like I never had the opportunity to do with her."

He honest to God threw Ben on his shoulder like some kind of caveman and took him to another room. All that while the boy trashed and screamed, trying to get free of his hold.

The house may be bigger than most on the neighborhood, but just like everything on the Isle, it was decadent. The room Ben was taken to seemed like it was supposed to be a bedroom, but there was no bed, just a large mattress right in the middle.

The man put him on the ground and Ben was so anxious for the rope to be cut so he could really try to fight back, but of course, Gaston wasn't a fool.    
Instead, he threw Ben on the mattress with his hands still tied, and without a single care in the world.

"Let's see if you're still so insolent after you have a knot deep in you." The man threatened.

Never in his life he had felt so scared and powerless as he felt the moment Gaston threw him like a piece of trash on top of that mattress. He had never felt this paralyzing kind of terror before and it was  _horrifying._

His chest always hurt when he thought about the terrible things that happened to omegas on the Isle, but to actually be in that place put everything in perspective. There's no amount of sympathy from him that could ever have lessened how those omegas felt. No 'I'm sorry that you went through that' would even begin to fix it.

The raw _fear_ he felt as he looked at that man's hungry eyes while he approached was the worse thing he had ever felt in his whole life.   
He could barely breathe, he could barely think.

Gaston scented his neck again and Ben felt absolutely disgusting. He knew he must have been reeking of fear with how terrified he was, how could someone get off on that? He ran his hands up and down Ben's body, and it just felt so, so  _wrong._

The man kneeled in front of him, and started to undo his own belt quickly, looking eager to touch Ben. The omega kept his eyes shut, not wanting to be forced to see what would happen next.   
Just as he thought there was no way out, the omega heard a harsh sound coming from another room.

"What the hell..." Gaston murmured, but Ben already knew what it was. Or rather who.

In a few seconds, the bedroom door was kicked down and everything was kind of a blur: one second Gaston was hovering over him, the next second two guards had him by the arms.

"Gaston, you are under arrest for kidnapping two minors, crimes against the crown as one of the victims is the King and attempted sexual assault." One of the guards said, but Ben could barely keep up. "You have the right to remain silent."

Somewhere along the way, Ben thinks one of the guards cut the rope that tied his arms, but he didn't really remember the moment it happened.

"Let me go! I did nothing wrong! This omega was the one who came into my house!" The Alpha screamed.   
And the worse thing was that Ben knew Gaston genuinely believed he should have the _right_ to do what he had done.

"You fucking piece of shit!" Ben turned his head to see Harry standing in the doorway. "You sick fucker, I can't believe you had the audacity to do this."  
And then he was jumping to attack Gaston.

Some guards made a motion to stop him, but Ben saw in their eyes the moment they reached the conclusion that... why would they defend this man? After they just saw what he tried to do to their King?

Harry punched the guy like it was nothing, the bloodlust clear in all of his features. Ben had always considered himself a pacifist, so he was almost scared of how much he didn't care if Gaston ended up terribly hurt.

He was sure Harry would have killed the man, his knuckes already bruised from the hard punches he was delivering, if Uma didn't show up behind him and put one of her hands on her friend's shoulder softly. 

"Leave Gaston to the guards." She said. "Ben needs you now."

All of Harry's posture softened instantly, looking in Ben's eyes for the first time since he got into the room. He approached Ben slowly, not wanting to spook the boy. At that moment, Ben stopped noticing everything else that went on on the room.

He looked afraid that the omega would melt away, or maybe break, if he touched him. So Ben reached out first, opening his arms wide for a hug.

Harry wrapped his arms tightly around him, so tight he felt like he couldn't really breathe, but he didn't mind. All that mattered was that he was in his boyfriend's arms again and he was _safe._ He hugged back just as tightly, hiding his face on the crook of Harry's neck, as the Alpha did the same to him.

The moment itself was overwhelming, but stopping to think about what had almost happened to him was what truly made him begin to sob in Harry's arms.   
"Everything is fine, darling. I'm here, ok? That man will never lay a single finger on you again, ok?" Harry whispered. "It's all over now."

It was hard to talk through the sobs, but he did his best.  
"I... I was s-so scared..." He admitted. "But... but I knew you'd c-come."

Harry pulled away sightly, just so he could look into his lover's eyes as he said:  
"I was so afraid of not seeing you again. I... I... I love you Ben. " The omega did _not_ expect to hear that. "I love you so fucking much and thinking of you being hurt, thinking of you being gone and me never having the chance to say how much I love you... I was broken, Ben." He was being so genuine, tears spilling down his cheeks.

Ben started crying even harder, all emotions getting mixed. He just clutched to Harry tighter, wanting to never let go, to stay in those arms arms forever. It felt like he was made to fit the embrace.

He had no idea how many minutes passed like that; while he cried and Harry held him tight. He knew there were other people in the room, he could hear them moving and talking, but he couldn't register what was being said.

After a while, still not letting go of him, the Alpha started to talk:  
"Darling, people are already searching the house, but do you have any idea where Gil could be?"

He gulped, not certain on how to give the news. He turned the hug into a side-hug, wanting to have the conversation comfortably but still not willing to be without Harry's touch.  
"He's not here." Ben said. "Gaston... is a terrible person."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, clearly becoming agitated again.

"He did all of this because he planned on selling Gil to some creepy friend of his." The omega said. "And he did that, Harry. I'm sorry, I tried to help, b-but I only made things worse."

"No, darling, it's not your fault." He promised. "The only person to blame here is Gaston, you did all you could."

Ben still felt uneasy, like all he did was mess this up even more, but he was too tired to argue.   
"I need to tell Uma." Harry tried to get up, but Ben clutched to his arm.

"Please, don't go." His eyes were shining with tears. "Don't leave me."  
He was sure he could hear Harry's heart breaking from that, and he felt bad for it.

The Alpha just hugged his boyfriend even tighter and then yelled his captain's name.  
Uma appeared in a few seconds, with a worried look on her face.  
"We found nothing. I don't think he is in the house." She let them know. "Jay is going out of his mind."

"Ben says we won't find Gil here." He practically gritted his words out. "He says Gaston sold him off."

"That piece of shit!" Uma exclaimed. "I should have let you kill that fucker."  
Harry clearly agreed, seeming just as angry as her.

"Darling... do you know who the buyer was? Maybe where they live?" Harry asked him and Ben tried hard to remember.

"No. I just know he's a man and an Alpha, but I've never seen him before. I don't really think he's a well-known villain." He said, but once he tried even harder to focus, something came up. "Wait... I think Gaston called him Murphy."

Both Uma and Harry's face fell at that moment. He knew it couldn't be a good sign.

"Black Murphy." Uma said. "He's an ex-crew member. One of the ones who used to hurt Gil."  
That was awful. It would already be pretty bad if it was a stranger, but someone who had already hurt his friend before? It was just plain cruel.

"That son of a bitch." Harry exclaimed. "Do you have any idea where he lives now? I never kept track of where the ex-pirates lived."  
Uma shook her head.

Things were really going downhill for them.  
"We need to start looking right now." The girl said. "We have the whole Isle to search."

Harry started to get up, but Ben whinned, not wanting the Alpha to go.  
"Ben... I need to go, I need to help." Harry said, expression full of pain. "I don't want to leave you, but Gil needs my help." It hurt, but Ben knew it made sense.

"Go with him." Uma told him. "Me, Jay and the guards can handle it."

But Harry insisted.  
"No, I can't... I can't just abandon Gil like that." He said. "The more people looking for him, the better. He needs me, he needs us."

"Ben needs you too. And you'll be completely useless if you can't focus 'cause you're too worried about your boyfriend." The captain was always the voice of reason."The guards will call for backup. One or two of them can escort you and Ben to the hospital and everything will be fine."

Harry slowly nodded and got up, helping Ben to do the same thing.  
But the omega could barely feel his legs.  
"Here, let me carry you." His boyfriend offered and took him in his arms easily.

Ben knew that he didn't have many injuries, but the ache on his chest when he thought about what almost happened to him, what may be happening to Gil, was way worse than any flesh wound could ever be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked it and, please, leave a review if you can. I love to hear what you think about my story.  
> Again, stay safe!


	19. If teardrops could be bottled there'd be swimming pools

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Harry have a special moment in the hospital, Gil is in trouble and everyone is looking for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, guys! Are you taking care of yourselves? I hope so! Thank so much for the feedback, I love to read it. So, today we have an emotional charged chapter here, so mind the tags and warnings. Warnings may be a little bit spoleiry today, so if you feel like absolutely no topic from this fics triggers you, you should skip them (be safe, please!) Enjoy! ♡  
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> WARNINGS: talks about injures, a little bit of gore violence, homicidal thoughts, talks about rape and attempted rape, for the duration of less than one paragraph there is ON-SCREEN rape, prejudice and bigotry, self victim blaming, character's low self esteem.

**HARRY**  
He was pacing around outside of Ben's hospital room. The nurses insisted that it was better if the omega went in alone, and as he promised everything was alright, Harry had agreed to wait outside.

He was vehemently regretting his decision now, though. The minutes felt like hours and all he wanted was to hold Ben's hand and tell him everything was ok.

Eventually, an Alpha man in his fifties that Harry supposed was the doctor, left the room.   
"Is he okay? Is there some injure we didn't see before?" He asked the man, completely overcome with worry.

"Breathe, kid. The king is perfectly fine physically." He assured and Harry could finally feel this weight being lift out of his shoulders. "He is very tired and possibly traumatized, but the only injuries are absolutely superficial. Such as the cuts on his cheek and the slight burns caused by the rope that was tying his arms."

That was already way too much. Ben didn't deserve a single scratch, he shouldn't have gone through any of that at all. He didn't deserve it.

"So, I can see him, right?" He checked, eager to see his boyfriend again.

The doctor smiled and nodded.  
"Yes, he can receive visitors now." He said. "Don't worry, he'll probably be ready to leave in a few hours. There's no reason to make him stay overnight."

Harry barely heard what the man said, already entering the room as soon as he had the permission.

Ben was laying on the hospital bed and let out a tired little smile as he saw Harry at the door. The Alpha could feel his heart swell with how much he loved that boy, even if it took him a while to admit it.

"Hey, darling. How are you feeling?" He asked, in a hushed tone.

"Very tired." He answered, looking sleepy indeed. "But the doctor said I'm all ok."  
Harry smiled, gently running his fingers through the boy's hair. Evil, it was so good to have him close and safe again.

"I'm so glad you're not hurt, darling." He said. "I don't know what I would do without you, my love."  
Ben kept smiling at him, until something changed in his expression and he adverted his eyes.

"Harry... I know that feelings can be super messy sometimes and... you had never said you love me before." He said. "So I'll get it if you just said that because you were excited to see me, I'll get if you don't really feel like that. You don't have to keep saying it, if-"

No, no. That just wouldn't do. He needed to show Ben exactly how much he meant it.

"Darling, _no._ Yeah, feelings can be messy and that's why I waited so long to say it. To admit how I really feel. " He looked the omega deep in the eyes, wanting to show him how sincere his words were. "But now I know I love you. Ben, I love you so much..."

He loved Ben more than he thought he could ever explain. Something clicked inside him once he realized he could have lost Ben and it made him able to go against every wall he had built around himself, against everything that made him not feel or at least not show what he felt.

It didn't matter if no one had told him those three little words before, what mattered is that Ben did. It didn't matter if he never had a partner he felt like this for, what mattered was that Ben made him feel like this now.

Spending those hours without knowing whether or not his boyfriend was safe was enough for him to know he never wanted to be away from him again.   
He wanted to spend his _whole life_ with him.

A wild thought appeared on his mind.  
"I love you so much that I think we should get mated." He said, voice firm.

Ben's jaw dropped, completely shocked.   
"Is this... is this a proposal?" The boy asked, all wide-eyed.

Harry dropped to his knees instantly. He was an spontaneous person by nature, but he was sure that was one decision he would _never_ regret.  
"It is now." He said. "I want to be with you forever."

"Are you sure? Don't you wanna think about it first?" The omega asked.

"I'm more than sure, yer highness." He said, meaning every single word. "I... I know I don't have a ring, and I'm sorry, you deserve more than this, but I'll get you a ring and then I'll get your parent's blessing. And then we can have the mating ceremony just the way you wanted."

Ben didn't move, didn't say anything. But the Alpha wasn't worried, he could see happiness and warmth in his boyfriend's expression.

Still kneeling, he took one of Ben's hands in his and asked:  
"So, Ben Florian, will you take me as your Alpha?"

"Are you kidding? Of course, I will." Ben said, happy tears starting to fall down his face. "I love you so, so much too."  
The Alpha got up, smiling wildly.

"I'm serious, Ben. We're going to have everything, the next moment I see your father I will ask for your hand." He said. "And then you can tell me all the details of how this ceremony works."

Ben smile reached his eyes so beautifully.  
"Come here and kiss me, love." The omega asked, and Harry happily obeyed. The kiss was sweet and full of feelings, full of _love._

Why had Harry taken so long to take down his stupid walls and admit how strongly he felt? Everything was so clearer now, he felt so goddamn alive.

Once the kiss ended, Ben started talking again.  
"You know, when I was there, I was afraid of many things, but... I knew you'd come." He said. "From the moment Gaston got to me I knew you'd manage to show up and save me."

The boy didn't need to add 'I'm glad you arrived on time' for him to know that was how he felt. Ben knew he would show up, but had been afraid it would be too late.

"I'm here now. And you're here now." He said. "And we're going to get married as soon as we can."

Ben giggled, so happy with the thought.  
"I think we should wait until the school year is over. Then, we'll have finished school altogether." The omega suggested. "We only have two months left."

"As you wish, yer highness." He agreed. "As long you have the time to plan everything just like you dreamed."

After that, a soft knock was heard on the door and Harry turned to see Adam and Belle coming in.  
They both looked terribly worried.

The woman was the first to approach their son.  
"Oh, sweetheart, how are you feeling?" She asked, voice pained. "I'm so sorry this happened to you."

"I'm okay, mom." He assured, smiling at her. "I got saved before things got worse."

"Did that monster-" Adam started to ask, but Ben interrupted him before he could finish.

"No, dad. He tried, though." Ben said, looking at the ground as he spoke. "He would have done it, if Harry and the guards didn't show up."  
Just thinking about it send chills down Harry's spine. 

"That sick bastard!" The old king said, through gritted teeth. "I wish I could go there and punch him to a bloody mess. No one touches my baby and gets away with it."

Ben gave his father a half-smile.  
"Don't worry. Harry punched his face in as soon as he got there." He said.  
Both Belle and Adam looked at him, seeming grateful. Not only for hurting that man, but mostly for bringing their son back to safety.

"We can never thank you enough, young man." The woman said, warm eyes directed at Harry. "We're sorry about how we acted once you two got together. You really proved yourself to be worthy."  
That was actually pretty nice to hear.

"My wife is right. We owe you our son's life." Adam said. "There's no possible way we can ever repay you for that." Well, in fact, Harry could think of a way that they could do exactly that.

"Actually... there's something you two can do." Alright, Harry, it's now or never. "Give me your blessing to become your son's mate."  
Both of them looked completely shocked, clearly not waiting for anything but this.

Belle was quick to get over the shock and smile wide at him.  
"Of course. As I said, you've proved yourself." She said. "It will be a pleasure to have you in our family."

Adam looked more sceptical, clearly not as convinced that this was a good idea.   
"Don't worry, sir. We plan on following all Auradon traditions regarding the ceremony." Harry decided to add. Wow, it was probably the most polite he had been on his life.

The man sighed, but gave Harry a half-smile anyway.  
"If this is what my son wants..." He said.

"It really is, dad. " Ben confirmed. "Harry is the best Alpha I could ask for." It really warmed Harry's heart to hear that.

"In this case, you do have my blessing." He finally conceded. "Welcome to the royal family of the United States of Auradon."  
Ben was beaming on the hospital bed, completely overcome with happiness. Harry also smiled, getting that man's approval was a really important step.

From then on, it was mostly Ben's parents checking on their son and asking questions about his health and about what had happened to him. Harry just kind of stood there.  
And being alone with his thoughts wasn't exactly helpful.

Now that the high of finding out Ben was safe and well had passed, Harry couldn't help but feel angst over not having found Gil yet. Of course, he wanted to be there for Ben, but he wanted to help his friend too.

He knew that in cases like these, time was absolutely crucial and if he wasn't there, then there was one less person helping, one less chance of finding Gil before it was too late. Would he be angry that Harry wasn't there? Would he blame him for not helping enough?

He played with his Hook nervously, without even noticing. He didn't want to be the kind of person who left a crew mate behind...

"Harry... you can go if you want." Ben said, as if reading his mind. "I'm well cared for now. He's important for me too."

Harry got up, still trying to grasp whether or not Ben meant it.  
"But you're still hospitalized." He said. "Are you sure it would be okay?"

"We can take care of our son." Belle piped in, smiling sweetly at him. "He'll still be here when you come back."

"I meant it, love." Ben said, taking Harry's hands in his own. "He needs you more than I do now." At that, the Alpha nodded, now sure his boyfriend wouldn't be upset if he left.

He gave Ben a quick kiss on the lips, before running out of the door.  
He used a phone on the hospital to get in touch with the guards and know their exact location.   
In a few seconds, he was running out of the hospital too, with a clear goal in mind.

** GIL **  
He was laying down on the bunch of old cushions that Black Murphy called bed, feeling completely broken. The only time he remembered feeling worse than that was the first time the captain had him, back when he was thirteen.

It had happened again. What he feared the most had happened again, and he couldn't do anything to stop it. He had cried and begged, just as he always did, but it was in vain, just like it always was.   
It felt like falling back into an old routine, only he had no control over it.

He supposed he should be grateful the Alpha hadn't been purposefully cruel, focusing more on how long it had been since he had an omega than on how bad he thought Gil deserved to get punished. It still hurt like hell and he was pretty sure he was bleeding a little bit.  
Most of his tears weren't caused by pain, though. The shame and disgust were bigger than any other feeling.

After knowing how bright things could be, how wonderful it felt to be treated like a real person, it was especially hurtful to go back to being treated like _that,_ but he should have known there was no way things could ever be different.   
Harry and Uma had tried to save him from the other pirates. Ben had tried to save him from the Isle. Jay and Carlos had tried to shower him with love. But the universe was obstinate, not letting him have anymore of those things. Maybe safety and love just weren't meant for him.

Eventually, Murphy had allowed him to take a shower and he scrubbed every inch of his skin raw, simultaneously trying to get rid of the man's touch and punishing himself for ever believing he could get his happily ever after.

He hoped the man had forgotten the idea of letting other ex-pirates know about him, because Gil was sure he could never get out of that alive. He wouldn't even _want_ to stay alive if he had to go through that again. There was not enough water in the world to wash that feeling away.  
Well, at least the captain was dead and couldn't hurt him anymore.

Evil, he was such a bad friend, a bad crew mate. He was there feeling thankful, feeling _happy_ even, that he had forced his friend to kill his own father. It's no wonder that fate reserved this for him; he was _tainted_ , he was _bad,_ _and he deserved to suffer._

  
"Hey! Did you fucking die in the shower? Get out!" His thoughts were stopped by the man's yelling and knocking on the door.

He was right, Gil had been almost freezing under the cold water without even noticing. Hot water was another luxury from Auradon that he needed to get over.

He ended up putting on the same clothes he had on before, absolutely refusing to ask anything from the Alpha. His shirt was slightly torn, but he could still wear it.  
Murphy tried to feed him some old bread, but he felt like he couldn't stomach anything without throwing up.

He sat down on the ground, since the cushions were still filthy, and started to think on what his chances were. He wasn't stupid enough to try to run away, not when he knew Murphy would raise hell to make sure his money was well-spent.   
But he wasn't sure whether to expect someone else to come for him. Should he even want to go? It was pretty clear that the fairytale life wasn't meant for him. It felt like taking something he didn't deserve.

Jay and Carlos would probably look for him. But he wouldn't blame them if they decided not to do it, he knew they hadn't been back on the Isle since the barrier was opened.   
Asuming they would come, how long would it take for them to give up? He wasn't worth his boyfriends spending long and exhausting days and nights running around this awful place.  
He didn't _want_ them to suffer because of him. He'd rather them to stay safe and sound in Auradon, even if costed him an eternity of pain in that man's hands.

There were also Harry and Uma. They would also want to help him, they are good friends and crew mates. But he's pretty sure they don't know where Black Murphy lives, so it would take them a while too.   
And they had their own lives to take care of now, they were both about to finish school... they didn't have all that spare time and he didn't want to trouble them again.

He had always been nothing but a huge burden to them. Honestly, Gil was lucky their hearts were too big for their bodies, because if they had been just a tad more rational they would have left Gil to rot when they had the chance.

And, _evil,_ there was also Ben. You see how Gil taints absolutely everything in his life? His friend was in Gaston's house, probably hurt in a way he absolutely didn't deserve to be hurt, all because Gil was a trouble magnet.  
It had been less than a year since he got to Auradon and he made the _fucking King get_ kidnapped already.   
Just another proof of how his place was on the Isle indeed.

So, yeah, the thinking didn't get him anywhere. Or more accurately it just showed him he was in the right place, he didn't deserve to get out at all. He hoped that no one got hurt trying to save him, he hoped he could pay for all of his sins on the time he was there, he hoped Murph wouldn't get more aggressive...  
He hoped.

**JAY**  
The night was falling, and still no indication of where that son of a bitch lived. They had asked around, knocked on people's door and all that, but it was hard when less than half the original Isle population was still living there.  
There were so many abandoned buildings in which that fucker could be hiding...

Harry had joined them again not too long ago and Jay was grateful for the extra help, but unfortunately it hadn't shown too much of a result yet.

"No, absolutely not, what the fuck?" He heard Uma yell at one of the guards, and he approached them hurriedly.

"What's happening?" He asked. Anything regarding the investigation concerned him. Uma had her jaw clenched and a hard look in her eyes.

"This guy thinks it isn't safe to keep looking for him now that it's dark. He thinks we should wait until the morning." She complained. Now Jay recognized that man as the head of the guards and that wasn't a good sign _at_ _all._

He was so fucking pissed. How could a bunch of all-mighty knights decide that nighttime on the Isle is too unsafe when there was someone, an innocent, a kid, in actual danger? Jay had survived many nights on the Isle without an armor or a sword to keep him safe.

"How can you even suggest that?" He asked. "Gil is counting on us. Every second we're not looking he is in more danger."

The man sighed.  
"I get that. It's understandable that you two are angry now, but-" He was saying, but got interrupted by Harry arriving behind him.

"Who's angry?" The pirate asked. "Do we have any news?"

"Yeah, we do. This piece of shit is ready to give up." Jay said, pointing an angry finger at the man's face.  
Harry's face darkened instantly.

"We're not giving up. We're making a pause, it's different." The guard said. "It's nighttime and we don't know the territory."

"But we do." Uma almost yelled. "This is why you wanted our help, in the first place."

"Not all of the guards are comfortable staying on this Island on the first place, much less at this time." He insisted. "The safety of my men comes first."

"Then, let the scared little fucks go and you and the rest can keep going." Harry advised. "What do you even think is going to happen?"

"You all have enchanted full body armors. You're safer than any of us." Jay said, and then something clicked. "It's not fear, is it? You all can't take to look at this place anymore. You're ashamed of knowing you let this happen, all of Auradon sat back and watched as hundreds of kids were trapped inside this awful place, eating trash and suffering abuse for _years._ And you saw nothing wrong with it until Ben pointed it out."

The man didn't agreed, but he didn't denied it either. He just adverted his eyes, embarrassed.   
"You just can't live with the idea that maybe you aren't the good guys, huh? Can't have the truth shoved in your face?" Uma taunted.

"I have no time for this." The guard said, still not meeting the eye of any of them. "We all know the boy isn't under life-threatening risk. That man wouldn't buy him just to kill him, he's going to keep the boy alive."

Jay couldn't believe what he was hearing.  
"So you don't care if he's being raped or beaten?" He asked. "You just don't want another body on your shift, right?"

"If you want to keep going, no one will try to stop you." The man said. "We will start again in the morning."

Once he turned, Harry quickly got his hook and made a motion to go after him, but Uma stopped her first mate with a firm hand on his shoulder.  
"It will do us no good if you get thrown in jail." She said.

"So what do we do now?" Harry asked, looking completely devastated. That was exactly how Jay felt.

"Each of us tries a different place." Jay said, trying to be strong through the despair he felt. "We need to keep looking on our own."

It wasn't that different from before they opened the barrier. If Auradon wasn't willing to help the VK's that was fine. They could get shit done on their own.

**BEN**  
"You did _what?"_ He asked, practically fuming.

He had been leaving the hospital, his parents making him company, when the head of the royal guard had come to him. He had the _audacy_ to look at Ben in the eye and tell him they had closed the search for the night, for safety reasons.

The nurse told him to try to take it easy on the stress, but how could he when his own employees did this kind of thing?   
He had seen these men and women go more than a week on a mission, taking turns but not a single break. This made no sense.

"It was the best tactical decision to make." The man assured.

"The best decision _for who?_ It certainly wasn't the best decision for Gil." Ben said, outraged with all that. "You have magical armors to protect you, what else could you possibly need?"

"Not all men were comfortable staying on that place any longer, your majesty." He insisted, eyes downcast.

"I thought that the royal guard would take violence against omegas more seriously than that." His mother piped in, looking every bit as angry as he was. "This is a kid we're talking about here. How could you fail to protect him?"

"Most of us had never been on that place before. It's not worth the risk, your grace." And okay, _that_ made Ben lose it.

"If it was me there, would it be worth it?" The king asked.

The guard gulped.  
"Excuse me, your majesty?"

"If Gil had been found, and I was the one out there would it be worth it?" He insisted. The man kept quiet, but Ben knew what his answer was. "Then, I am worth it because I'm a royal, but Gil is not because he's just a VK, right?"

"That's not what I said, your majesty." The man tried to make amends, but it was already too late.

"But that's what you meant." Ben had fire in his eyes. "Well, guess what? It doesn't matter to me where or who he comes from. All citizens should be protected."

"Your majesty, I will-"Ben interrupted him mid-sentence.

"You have done enough. You're fired." The king said, his voice as full of authority as he could muster. "Tell your second in command she is the leader now and that I want another rescue mission back on the Isle before the sun rises."  
The man seemed to want to argue, but he knew better than doing that.

Ben was a fan of peace and justice, it wasn't like him to yell at people. But if you got him mad enough to make him want to yell, then you had another thing coming.

"Son, that was pretty harsh of you. I've never seen you actually use your authority as a king before." His father pointed out. "But he deserved that entirely. Creating the Isle was a bad choice and people shouldn't be judged for being born there."

Ben felt himself get calmer at that, he gave Adam a small smile.  
It was the first time his dad admitted that creating the Isle had been a bad thing.The man had a hard time admitting he was wrong, so Ben appreciated when he did it.

After that, they all went back to the Castle. It had been less than 24 hours since he had last been in his room, but it felt like an eternity. All he wanted was to be in his bed and sleep a little.

Easier said than done, of course. He trashed in his bed for a long time, sleep not coming no matter how much he tried. He couldn't stop thinking, his mind was a mess.   
It was scary to remember what he went through, what almost happened to him. He tried to act like he was fine, but alone in the middle of the night, his true feelings came alive.  
It was also scary to think about how his friend was still out there and there was nothing else he could do to help.

Once he eventually fell asleep, it was plagued by nightmares. He dreamed about Gaston's voice and his cold stare, woke up screaming, vividly remembering the moment the man threw him into that old mattress. It was awful, and if he was _that_ messed up even though nothing did really happen, then how would he feel had Gaston reached his goal?

It sent chills down his spine to think about it.   
All in all, it was a pretty restless night for him, waking up from different kind of horrors every moment he managed to close his eyes. But the most important thing was that he made it through it.  
He made through the kidnapping and the first night after it. He had survived and he would keep on surviving.

**UMA**   
The sun was rising already, and she could barely feel her legs from running around the Isle, asking for information and breaking into abandoned houses.

In the middle of the night another guard had appeared, a female Alpha this time, claiming she was the new head of the guards and had been instructed by the King himself to help them.   
Uma had smiled, thanking Evil for having Ben in their lives. She should have known he wouldn't allow that big of an injustice to happen under his notice.

Back at the moment, she was completely hopeless already, not having a single clue on where to look for. No one seemed to know where Black Murphy lived.

"You don't think... he'd like, kill Gil, right?" Jay asked, worry written all over his face.

Uma shook her head.  
"No. He's a disgusting son of a bitch who thinks omegas are objects, toys for him to play." She said. "He wouldn't break his brand new toy." She knew she was blunt, but at that point she had barely any filter left.

It didn't seem to tranquillize him too much, though.  
"So, by now, he has probably... raped Gil already, right?" He obviously knew the answer already, but wanted to know her thoughts.

"Unfortunately, yeah, I think so." She answered. "A man like him wouldn't want to lose a second."

Jay had to stop and take a deep breath, trying to control himself.  
"Fuck... I want to kill that fucker, Uma, rip him to shreds." He irradiated anger. "Prison is too light for him, he should fucking suffer for this."

She agreed 100%. That was a fault of Auradon; they thought violence was never the best option, but honestly? Alphas like Murphy and Gaston, disgusting predatory monsters like them, didn't deserve to simply be locked up. At least she didn't think so.

Soon, a very agitated looking guard appeared next to them.  
"There is a new lead!" The man said. Uma didn't remember having seen him before. "We found someone who claims to have worked with the suspect, but refuses to tell us where he lives."

"We just gotta make them talk, whatever it takes." Jay said.

"Sure, an interrogatory is due to follow. The head of the guards is asking questions as we speak." The man suplied. "But he doesn't seem inclined to answer."  
Oh Evil, did they have to do everything?

"Let Harry have five minutes alone with the guy and I promise you, he will tell us everything we need to know." She half suggested, half ordered. "My first mate has an incredible talent for that."  
The guard looked a little sceptic.

"Don't worry." Jay added. "We know how people from the Isle think, remember?"

And that's exactly how things followed. They had allowed Harry and his hook five minutes unsupervised, but the man opened his mouth in three. As she had said, he had a lot of talent for this.

Unfortunately, luck wasn't exactly on their side, so the address the man gave them was on the other side of the Isle. They were all _so fucking tired,_ but they had no choice other than to keep going.  
Gil needed them.

Jay looked especially disheveled during the whole way. Even though they were all running, Uma kept giving him side glances and noticing how he was at the verge of tears.

Once they finally made it to a little house made of rotten wood, the adrenaline was pumping in her veins. She didn't even knock, kicking the door down as soon as she got there.  
The sight would hunt her forever.

Just like when they had found Ben, the offender Alpha was hovering over Gil. But this time they had been too late. Both Alpha and omega were naked, one of Murphy's hand muffling Gil's little cries as he hurt him.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye: Harry and one of the guards tackled that fucker to the ground, while Uma and Jay approached Gil.  
Jay was quick to take off his jacket and cover his boyfriend's exposed body.   
"I'm here, babe. I'm here, it's over, ok?" He said, holding the boy close. "Fuck... I'm so sorry, babe."

The omega cried, but he didn't move a muscle. He had his eyes closed, and wouldn't say anything, all he did was cry and shake. Uma's heart shattered at seeing him like that, and she couldn't help but feel like she failed him.  
She had failed him once when they were still trapped on the Isle, and she had failed him again.

As the boy was unresponsive, Jay got up with rage in his eyes and attacked Murphy. Harry was quick to join him, one punching while the other kicked. They made a good team.  
This time Uma wouldn't dare to interfere, if they killed the guy, so be it. She was pretty sure there was already a place in hell reserved just for him anyway.

"Gil, can you hear me? It's Uma here. Are you aware of what's happening?" She asked, trying to get his attention somehow. To her surprise, the boy did nod, but refused to say anything.

He grabbed her hand firmly, and she let him. She wanted to provide all comfort she could. Gil deserved to be comforted forever after what happened.

She could hear Murphy screaming as he was beaten and honestly? It was music to her ears. She may have chosen good, but she still had her wicked side, the one that craved for revenge.   
And by the look, and sound of it, Harry and Jay still had the same wicked bits.

Eventually, the guards had enough of that and forcefully took both of them away from that son of a bitch. Of course they wouldn't let the guy have what he truly deserved. They were Auradonians, after all. But at least he was already pretty messed up.

Someone said something about Murphy's right to keep quiet or some shit and what exactly were the crimes he committed, but Uma didn't give a damn. She just wanted him and Gaston to be thrown in jail for life.

"Hey, babe. It's going to be fine, you hear me?" Jay approached his boyfriend again. His soft tone didn't match the way his hands were covered in bruises and blood. "You're going to the hospital now and they're going to check if you're hurt, love."

When they got to the house, one of the guards had asked for medical support, so they had to wait for a few minutes for it to arrive. Since Gil wouldn't talk, no one had any idea how hurt he was.  
They put him on a stretcher to make transportation easier, and then offered some kind of special hospital clothing.

Everything about the situation was crazy, it didn't even seem like reality. They crossed the whole Island running behind paramedics and guards, lots of curious stares following them, of course. At least the nightmare had come to an end.

It should have made her happy and relieved, but that's not how she felt. She felt angry. So fucking mad that this kind of problem had followed them into their new life, that Gaston thought it would be even remotely okay to treat his own son like merchandise, that she wasn't fast enough to save her friend before he was hurt again.

But anger wasn't the only emotion. She was sad, because it was so devastating that someone as good as Gil had to go through that all over again. She was afraid, because what if he never fully recovered from being traumatized like that, from being treated like that. She was guilty, feeling like she could have done more to help her friend.

Uma was completely overwhelmed and she had no idea how to deal with it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SORRY, I SWEAR I AM.  
> Please, talk to me in the comments, I'd love to know your thoughts.


	20. I've got scars, even though they can't always be seen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gil is finally safe again, but he feels terrible about what happened. So does Ben.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Thank you so much for the comments and kudos♡ You have no idea how much this really means to me♡ I'M SORRY I'm being so mean to these characters right now. Enjoy!  
> WARNINGS: low self-estem, some variant of survivor guilt, mentions of rape and attempted rape, tbh honest this is just a giant pit of SELF-VICTIM BLAMING.

** CARLOS **  
He went running to the hospital as soon as he heard the news, so, so worried about his boyfriend.

Once he got there, he saw lots of familiar faces on the waiting room; Jay was standing next to the door obviously trying so hard not to cry, Harry was pacing around the room, Ben was chewing on his nails, standing next to his boyfriend and Uma was sitting in a chair with a very hopeless look on her face.

"Hey, babe." Carlos approached Jay. "Do you have any news?"  
The Alpha shook his head nervously.  
"No. It's been half an hour since we got here and we have nothing."

He turned his attention to Ben.  
"Ben, man, are you okay? I didn't even know you left the hospital. As a patient, I mean." He said, embracing his friend in a hug.

"I'm sorry. I was just so tired, I came home and slept." The king answered. "I have to talk to Mal still, she'll kill me for taking so long."  
Yeah, he was right about that.

Don't get Carlos wrong, he was glad Ben was okay, but he had no time to dwell on that, considering his boyfriend was inside a hospital room and no one had any idea of how bad his state was.

"I'm sorry." Ben said. "I tried to help, but I didn't manage to do anything. I swear I did my best."

Carlos gave him a sad little smile.  
"It's ok, Ben. I'm grateful you tried at all." He assured.

Time passed painfully slow, as no doctor or nurse showed up to inform them on Gil's state. Was it possible there was some life-threatening injure no one warned them about?  
Jay embraced him in a side hug, whispering that Gil would be fine and everything would be alright, but he wasn't so confident.

All those minutes waiting felt like hell. Carlos needed the information, he needed to know how Gil was feeling, how hurt he was. And more important than that, he wanted to be there for him, hold his hand through the difficult parts.

He thanked Evil once the waiting was over, as the doctor called for Gil's friends and family.  
"I'm going to have to ask that only two go see him at a time." She was a tall female Alpha with short ginger hair. "The patient went through a very traumatic situation, and needs some peace and comfort, alright?"

"How is he?" Jay was quick to ask, dying to know if Gil was okay.

"The patient is not in danger at all. He had a minor concussion, but we already gave him medication for that. He has some visible bruises on his wrists, forehead and hips, but they are extremely superficial." She explained. "We also detected some minor intern bruising in the pelvic region. Luckily, no stitches were needed, since applying ointment on the area for the next weeks at least will be enough to heal them."

It may be all clinical talk, but Carlos knew the kind of thing that would cause some of these injuries. He still didn't have all the information about what had happened to Gil, but the one he did have absolutely broke him.

"Physically, he'll be completely fine, no sequels." The doctor said. "But again, he went through something very traumatic and this kind of recovery takes time. You need to be patient."

Fuck, Carlos could barely believe it. Everything had been so good, Gil was happier than he had ever been before that whole clusterfuck happened.   
Why did this have to happen?

"You can see him now, but as I said, only two of you." She said.

"If no one opposes, I think me and Carlos should go first." Jay suggested, and Carlos nodded in agreement. All three of their friends also nodded, understanding that it was best to let them see their boyfriend first.

As they opened the door and approached the room, Carlos' heart beat like a drum, so scared of how hurt his boyfriend was going to be.

Gil looked so soft and defenseless on that hospital bed, and it made the other omega want to cry. But he needed to be strong, he needed to offer comfort.  
"Hey, babe." Jay talked first. "Do you feel a little better now?"

Gil had tears in his eyes, which were already red from crying too much, and a nasty bruise on his forehead.  
"Yeah... I guess. I guess so." He answered, but he didn't look like he felt anything but terrible.

"We were so worried about you." Carlos told him. "I'm so glad you're safe now."

"Doctor said you're going to be fine." Jay said. "Won't even need stitches or anything, so it probably mea-"

"Please, stop that." Gil interrupted. "You guys don't need to do this. You don't even need to be here."   
Silent tears scape from his eyes and the other two weren't understanding a damn thing.

"What you're talking about, babe?" The Alpha asked.

"I appreciate what you guys did for me and how much fun we had together, but you don't need this in your lives." He said, voice cracking at the end. "You can't possibly want me in your lives now. I was already a burden before, but now? I can't do that to you."

"Of course we still want you, babe." Jay was quick to say. "We love you remember?"

"And I love you too. That's why I need to let you go." He let out a little mirthless laugh. "Actually, I'm sorry. It was so selfish of me to even be in this relationship in the first place, I'm sorry for that. I can see things so, so much more clearly now, and I know that this is not my place."

At that point, Carlos was crying too.  
"Gil... you being part of this was the best thing that ever happened to us." He said, trying to make his boyfriend see reason.

"My t-time back on the Isle showed me my place, r-reminded me of it, at least." He explained, crying harder now. "I don't get to be happy or, or s-safe or loved. That's just... not for me. That's for good omegas like you or Ben, b-but not for me."

"Love, please, listen to yourself." Jay tried to make him understand. "Of course you deserve safety and happiness and love. This is just them getting into your head."

"I'm bad, Jay. I deceived you two for months, making you think I was actually worth something, that I was actually worth something as precious as _y_ _our love_ , when I'm clearly not. I made this mess and got Ben hurt in the middle of this, _evil,_ do you get how bad this is? I put the King in danger, I should be going to fucking jail!" He almost yelled.

"Ben made a conscious decision to try to save you because he's your friend, he cares about you." Carlos explained. "This is not on you."

But he shook his head.  
"I tricked him into doing this somehow. I must have."

"Gil, please look at me." Carlos pleaded. "Gaston and that other terrible man put these things in your head, trying to convince you you're unworthy and useless, because they knew it would make you pliable. They wanted you easy to manipulate."

Gil gulped at that. This was good, he probably realized what he had said, _did_ make some sense.  
"Yeah, babe. I may not know everything they said, but I know this sounds like bullshit that someone tried to feed you." Jay said. "You don't need to believe them, Gil."

"But still... Jay, you can't possibly say you still want to be with me after you saw Murphy on top of me. I know you saw it." He said. "You can't want to ever touch me again after that. Look at me in the eye and tell me you don't feel disgusted whenever you think about me now you saw that."

Jay took the omega's face in his hand, looking him straight in the eye as he talked:  
"I'm not disgusted when I think of you. I'm not disgusted when I look at you. I'm not disgusted by the fact I am in a relationship with you." He promised. "I am only disgusted when I think about this Murphy guy."

This made Gil sob, and Carlos' heart ached at the sight. He started caress the omega's cheek lightly, trying to offer some comfort.

"Gil... you're amazing. You're the best boyfriend we could ask for." Carlos added. "Please, don't take that away from us."

He shook his head again.  
"You say that now, but... guys, I'm going back to square one again. I'm so much more broken now." He said. "The doctor said I'm fine, that my injuries are not that bad... but there are so many she can't see, so many _you_ can't see. It's not fair to do that to you."

"The moment you got kidnapped we knew you were going to have new scars, no one goes through that and comes back completely unharmed." The Alpha said. "But we still love you the same way we did before."

"You shouldn't." Gil claimed, tears streaming down his face.

"But we do. There's nothing anyone can do to change that." Jay insisted. "If you truly don't want to be with us anymore, we'll have to respect it, of course. But if you're only doing this because you think you're doing us a favor, sparing us of something... please, don't do it, babe. The way I feel didn't change, and all I wanna do is be with you every step of the way."

"Everything else changed, though." Gil said. "Of course I love you, but... I can't imagine you guys still wanting me, I have no idea why you would do that."

Evil, Carlos had never hated anyone the way he hated Gaston at that moment.

"You're the same person you were a few days ago. The same caring, sweet guy we loved before and we love now." Carlos explained. "You only got hurt, and we want to help you to heal."

"We'll be here as long as you don't send us away, alright?" Jay asked.  
Gil waited a little to be able to answer, clearly taking his time to think about it.  
"Alright." He finally agreed. "I think... yeah, if you guys want it we can do that."

That made both Carlos and Jay smile, glad that their boyfriend saw reason, or at least a little bit of it.   
"We'll be here every step of the way, ok?" Jay assured.

Gil nodded and tried to smile at them, but it came out empty.  
"How is Ben, after all?" He asked. "I should go see him. And apologize."

"Ben is fine, he's in the waiting room. But remember you're a victim here, you did nothing wrong." Carlos reminded him.

"He had no injures at all, the doctors let him go in a few hours." Jay explained.

"So... Gaston didn't touch him?" He asked, sounding hopeful.

"He tried to, but we got there right on time." Jay said, not quite meeting his eyes. "I'm sorry that we couldn't do the same to you. We tried but it was so hard to find Black Murphy's house."

"It's okay. I'm glad it was me and not Ben." Fuck, how could someone like him even exist? "I was already messed up from the start, he isn't."  
It seemed like Gil was finding new ways to make their heart ache with every sentence.

"Babe, I think it's important you call your therapist as soon as you're out of the hospital." Carlos advised. "You've got a lot of healing to do and most of it is psychologic."

"You probably should meet her more regularly instead of just once every two weeks." Jay added. "You'll need lots of support now."  
Gil took a deep breath.

"You're right, but I don't wanna talk about it right now." He admitted. "I can barely believe I made out of that place so soon... I thought I'd be there for weeks, at least."  
The thought sent chills through Carlos' spine. He would have gone mad had this happened.

"I'm so sorry, babe. I promise you neither of those fuckers will ever see the light of the day again." Jay said. "You'll never have to worry about them again."

"I was so dumb for reaching out for my father... It seems so obvious now that he will never change." Gil said. "I only have myself to blame."

"You only have those two pieces of shit to blame." Jay insisted. "Your dad took advantage of the fact that you're caring and forgiving and that you wanted to give him a chance. He took advantage of you for profit, Gil. That's not on you in any way."

"Is... is Ben mad?" He asked, softly. "That I put him in that position?"

"He's just worried, I promise." The Alpha said.

"He wants to see you. Uma and Harry too." Carlos told him. "But it's fine if you're not ready for it yet."

Gil seemed to think a little.  
"I really want to see them, thank them for everything... but I'm so tired." The boy said. "Maybe they could come back later?"

"I'm sure they'll probably just sit there and wait until you wake up." Carlos said."What about us? You want us to stay here?"  
_Please, say yes_ was going through his mind like a mantra.

"You really don't need to. I'm sure you're tired too." Gil said. "But... I think I'm a little afraid of being alone right now."

Jay kissed his forehead sweetly.  
"Don't worry, babe. We're not going anywhere."

 **GIL**  
When he woke up, he had no idea how much time had passed. He knew he was still tired, but he didn't really think he could go back to sleep anymore. His mind was restless.

Looking around, he realized that Carlos had fallen asleep on the chair, as Jay sat down on the edge of the bed.   
"Hey, you're awake." Jay stated, smiling sweetly at him. "Feeling better?"

Gil just shrugged, knowing he wouldn't really feel better for a long time.   
"For how long did I sleep?" He asked.

"Not much, really. Less than two hours." The Alpha answered. "Our friends are still waiting to see you."

His jaw dropped. They waited for at least two hours just to check on him?  
"Really? Yeah, you could call them now. I really want to see them too." Gil said.

"Only two visitors at a time for you. Doctor's orders." Jay explained.  
Gil took a look at Carlos drooling and breathing heavily next to them and snorted.  
"Send one at a time, so we don't have to wake Carlos up." He suggested. "I bet none of you slept much."

Jay offered him a sad little smile.  
"You're important to us, babe. None of us could do or think about anything else when you were gone." He said. "But don't worry, I'll call them in. If you need anything, I'm on the other side of the door."

Gil wanted to see his friends, but he couldn't help but feel nervous as well. He felt like he owed them something, somehow.

Jay left, leaving him a quick kiss on the forehead before that. It didn't scape Gil's notice how neither of his boyfriends had kissed him on the lips since he was rescued.   
It was weird, since they normally did it all the time, but he understood. If he could, he'd keep as little contact with himself as possible. It made him kind of sad to think about it, but he figured it was best not to say anything.

He didn't have any time to dwell on that, because soon Uma was entering the door, seeming like she didn't sleep at all.  
"Hey, Gil." She said, voice soft but firm. "We missed you."

"C'mon, it wasn't all that time." He snorted. "But I'm happy you found me."  
She smiled.

"It felt like a long time. You know why?" She asked. "'Cause we care about you, you jerk."  
Her tone was teasing and that made him laugh out loud for the first time during that day.

"I know that." He answered. "And I appreciate it."   
He also appreciated how she wasn't treating him like he was made of glass, she wasn't walking on eggshells around him.

Uma smiled.   
"Did the doctor told you when you're free to go home?" She asked.

"She wants me to stay the night, because I got something called a concussion, I think?" He explained. "She wants to make sure it didn't cause anything bad inside my head, I guess."

"It makes sense." Uma agreed. "Head injures aren't something to be messed with."

Yeah, he figured. He didn't really want to spend the night in the hospital, but the doctor knew better.  
"Don't tell me. It hurts like hell." He said.

"But I know you'll be better in no time." Uma said. "You're a strong one."  
He gave her a half smile, not really agreeing. If he was truly strong he wouldn't be in this position in the first place.   
"I'll try to get better." It was all he could offer.

"If there's anything you want to talk about, you know I'm here for you. But if you never want to mention it again, I'm here for you too." She said, tone more serious. "I'll support you either way."

It really meant a lot to him, the way she and Harry were always willing to help and protect him. Even when he felt like he didn't deserve it.  
"Thank you, captain." He said. "I know I can count on you."

Uma smiled.  
"I wish I could stay here all day, but... Harry and Ben are really anxious outside." She explained. "And I really, really need a damn shower."  
She made a disgusted expression that made him snort.

She pressed his hand in hers as some kind of comforting gesture and then left, leaving him alone with his thoughts. Out of all of his friends, Uma was the best to make him feel less of a freak.

Soon, Harry was entering the room and he looked an even bigger mess than Uma did. His dark eyeliner and eyeshadow were all over his face and his hair was wild.  
It made sense, he was not only desperate because of Gil, but because of Ben too.

The omega gulped.  
"I'm sorry for putting Ben in danger. I... I never wanted that to happen." He promised. "But I'll get it if you're mad at me. I am mad at myself."

But all Harry did was frown, as if that made no sense at all.  
"Gil, _no._ I'm not mad, I could never be mad over something like that. That was Gaston's fault, not yours." He said. "You had no way predict it."

"You sure?" He insisted. Harry came closer, looking deep into his eyes now.  
"I am completely sure." The Alpha said and Gil knew he was being honest. "The people who are really guilty will pay for doing this."

Should he be sad that his father was going to jail? He didn't know what to feel for that man other than strong disappointment.   
"They're going to spend their whole lives in prison, right?"

He nodded.  
"Ben said he's going to make everything to guarantee that." He said. "So you're safe now, alright?"

"I thought I was safe before, but I wasn't." Gil couldn't help but be a little pessimistic.Harry looked like the sentence had pained him.

"I'm sorry... I should have made sure you were." His eyes were getting shiny, but Harry let no tears fall. "As your crew me and Uma should have protected you."

Gil knew how protective Harry was, he shouldn't have said what he did.  
"No, no. That's not what I meant. You did the best you could." He assured. "I was the stupid one. I _was_ safe before I was dumb enough to want that man back into my life."

Harry let out a long sigh before answering.  
"Maybe we should stop throwing all that blame back and forth, huh?" He said. "Let's just agree that if it wasn't my fault, then it wasn't yours either."  
The omega agreed, but he knew he couldn't help how he really felt.

In fact, he felt a lot of different things about it, he was still processing. One second he thought that he ought to leave Jay and Carlos immediately so they don't need to deal with the disgusting mess he is, on the next second he can't even fathom why he'd want to do such a thing, knowing damn well there would be no way for him to _survive_ this without them.  
His mind was a mess.

"So... how do you feel?" The Alpha asked.

"My head hurts, but it's bearable." He answered. "I think my whole body too, at least a little bit. But I'm good."

"That's not what I meant." Harry clarified.

"I don't know. I just... I don't know." He said. "But I'm not about to do anything harmful to myself, if that's what you're worried about."

Harry tried to smile at him, but it was more like a grimace.  
"Things will be okay again eventually." He said. "Or at least closer to okay." Maybe he was right, maybe he wasn't, only time would tell.

It's not the first time Gil went through something like that, but it seemed more heartbreaking for some reason.

"I guess I should go." Harry said. "Ben is really worried about you, you know? He really wants to see you."  
Gil just nodded, knowing the two of them had stuff to sort out.

The Alpha seemed a little awkward, not knowing quite what to do, so he just waved goodbye, and left the room.

To be honest, Ben was the one he was more anxious to see. He loved Uma and Harry with all of his heart, and deep down he knew that no matter what happened they would end up being okay again.   
He wasn't sure how to proceed with Ben.

He had to find out quickly, since in a minute or less, Ben was entering his room with a worried look.

"I'm sorry." The words left both of their mouths simultaneously, making Gil frown.

"What do you have to be sorry for? I messed this up. Because of me, Gaston kidnaped you... he tried to touch you." He said. "I'm so sorry for that, Ben. You have to believe me."

"Gil, I'm the King. You were kidnaped in my territory, after I  _promised_ you and all the VKs that you'd be safe here." Ben said. "I'm sorry for messing this up."

Gil's jaw dropped. Ben was the last person he would ever dream to blame. The boy put his own life at risk to try to save him, goddamn it.

"Ben... no. I was safe in your kingdom, until I invited danger into my life." He said. "Into both of our lives, apparently. I... I should have know my father is sick enough for something like that, I'm sorry."

Evil, he knew how terrifying Gaston could be when he talked about Belle. The days he claimed to love her, he talked about her like a possession. The days he he didn't, he talked about how she deserved to be punished. And to think that all of this transferred to Ben as soon as he got hold of the boy...  
How could he think a man like that could ever change?

"I'm still sorry, though." Ben insisted. "I wish none of it had happened."

"Me too. I wish I had never went after my father at all." Gil said, and added a small pause before continuing. "What did he, hm... you know what, forget it."

He had no right to ask anything about it.  
"He said somethings about my mom, that I reminded him of her." Ben said, eyes shining from the unshed tears. "He tried to touch me and I spat on his face. He told me he was going to teach me a lesson, like he never had the opportunity to do to her."

Evil, his dad was so fucking awful. Why the hell did he decide to give that man a chance?

"I'm so sorry, Ben." He grabbed Ben's hand, not sure if trying to offer or get comfort. "You didn't deserve that."

Ben smiled sadly at him and clutched to his hand just as hard.  
"I know." He answered. "It could be worse. He never got to... rape me. They saved me before it got to that point."

That was the silver lining for Gil. It would be so much worse if it was the other way around.  
Ben wasn't rough around the edges like the kids from the Isle were, he was soft and sweet and would have no idea how to deal with this. Omegas on the other side of the barrier spent every minute of every day scared that an Alpha would decide to take them, knowing it could happen at any minute.

But Ben? Someone from Auradon? The fucking King? He never had to worry about that, he'd break and crumble and have no idea what to do in the aftermath. Gil was glad it was him and not his friend.

"I'm happy it didn't happen to you." He offered, a small smile on his lips.

Ben adverted his eyes to the ground.  
"It... it did happen to you, right? I'm so sorry, Gil. I tried to help, but I feel like I messed things up even more." He sounded quite desperate. "I feel like I should have done more."

Was Ben for real?  
"Dude, you did everything you could and more." He said, looking into his friend's eyes so he knew he meant it.

It felt so weird, Ben worrying about him like that when he put Ben in that place in the first place.  
What was this terrible thing about him that deceived people into thinking he was better than he actually was?

They stood in that deep silence for a full minute, before Ben started talking again.  
"So... what now?" He asked. "I know I'm going back to therapy... and I'm probably not going back to school this week. But I don't know what to do, how to deal with this."

Gil didn't feel like he could help much, he had no idea what to do either.

"When it happened back on the Isle, I had no time to think about it, to get better. Even after Uma and Harry saved me, it was still a terrible place and I needed to focus on surviving." He tried to explain. "So... I don't know what to do either."

When it happened before, he had no time to heal after it happened. The process only truly began after they crossed the barrier.

Ben shook his head.  
"God, I shouldn't be talking to you about that, I'm sorry. What he did to me... it was nothing when compared to what you went through." He said, seeming distraught. "I'm sorry."

Gil wanted to him that Ben had every right to be traumatized as well. He knew what the moments _just before_ it happened felt like, and the absolute panic he felt would already be enough angst for a lifetime.  
But his throat closed up when he thought about talking about it, talking about how he had felt at the moment, so he kept quiet.

They heard a knock on the door just after that, both heads turning to the direction of the sound.

"Hello." A dark skinned beta man Gil recognized as one of the nurses said. "I'm sorry, but I need to change your IV. The visitors can stay if you prefer it."

"No, no. I think it's better if I go, I'm feeling a little tired already." Ben answered.   
Gil opened one of his arms to try to give him a hug, even though it was difficult in that condition. Ben smiled and hugged him lightly, seeming afraid that Gil would break if he pressed too much.

"We're going to be alright. We are strong, we can do it, ok?" Ben sounded like he was trying to convince both of them.

Probably because that was exactly what he was doing.

**BEN**  
After visiting Gil, Ben and Harry went back to the castle. The omega desperately needed not to be alone and the Alpha was more than eager to never let him out of his sight again.

"So... what do you need?" His boyfriend asked. "I wanna help you in every way I possibly can."  
It was sweet, how much he cared. But Ben didn't know what he needed.

"I'm not sure." He answered. "I just feel so weird... I feel terrible about what happened, like I could die just from thinking about the way Gaston looked at me. But then, I feel like I have no right to feel that way."

Harry frowned.  
"Darling, of course you do. That man kidnapped you and tried to rape you." He said.

"He tried, but you saved me before he could. And well... I did break into his house, so it wasn't really kidnapping." He tried to explain. "I'm not saying Gaston isn't a bad guy, or that he doesn't suck. He is, he does, he's the worst, but I shouldn't feel so bad over something that didn't happen."

His chest ached when he thought about it. He had been saved, he had been _lucky,_ how come he felt like there was a hole in his heart?  
Harry put his hands on each side of his boyfriend's face and stared deep into his eyes.  
  
"A man you spent your whole life hearing about, being warned about, a man who tormented your mother and wanted to kill your father, kidnapped one of your best friends. You tried to help, and ended up tied down and helpless as that man tried to touch you in the most awful way." The Alpha said, very slowly. "Ben, this is _scary._ This is something terrible that no one should ever go through. Of course you get to be sad, be angry, be frustrated. You get to feel whatever the fuck you need to."

That did it. Ben was suddenly sobbing into his lover's arms, as he hugged him tight. His sobs were loud and full of pain as he finally allowed the tears to fall.  
"I... I w-was so, so s-scared..." He sobbed.

"I'm sorry, darling. It's okay, you can let it all out now." Harry said, hugging even tighter. "It's fine, love. I'm here, remember? You're safe and you can feel anything."

He was trembling a bit, but he didn't care. It felt like the moment he was rescued all over again, like coming home after being in a cold, terrible place. He had been through a lot, his mind was still going trough a lot and he was glad Harry was there to help.

What the Alpha said did help him to clear his thoughts. He was right, just having to _face_ Gaston was already a terrible thing for him, and being at his mercy like that was even worse. Lucky or not, he had the right to feel bad over what had happened.

It took long minutes until he stopped crying, but he still wasn't willing to give up the heat of Harry's embrace. He just stood there, breathing heavily.

"Thank y-you, love." Ben said, still clutching to his chest like a baby. "I needed to hear that."

"You're welcome, yer highness." He answered. "I'm just trying to be the best fiancé I can be."  
Ben couldn't help but smile, knowing Harry could feel his smile against his skin.

 _Right,_ they weren't just boyfriends anymore. They were going to get married, they were going to get _mated_ soon. Ben might not be sure about how most things in his life were going to be from that moment on, but he was sure of one thing: saying 'yes' to Harry's proposal was the best thing he had ever done.

"I can barely believe this is real. That you really proposed to me." He said. "I can't wait to be yours."  
The change in the atmosphere of the talk was good for him, now he had let his emotions out he felt lighter somehow.

"You're already mine." Harry reminded him. "Just like I am yours. I'm just sorry I took me so long to realize it."  
It was fine, really. So what if Harry had needed a little scare to realize how he felt for Ben? Sometimes destiny is tricky like that. It wasn't the Alpha's fault at all.

"It's okay." He said. "But... I'm a little tired right now. We can talk more about our mating later."  
The words 'our mating' felt like magic in his tongue.

"You want me to be here while you sleep?" The Alpha asked.

He nodded.  
"Maybe I could scent you a little?" His lover's smell did calm him a lot. "Just... well, I had nightmares last night. I'm not sure it won't happen again."

He thought it was better to warn, but Harry looked pained.  
"I'm sorry I wasn't here." He said.

Ben pecked his lips quickly, but lovingly.   
"Hey, it's fine, ok? I told you to go." He assured. "Gil needed you. If you weren't there, he might have been even more hurt."

And just like that, they lay down facing each other so Ben could rest his head on the Alpha's shoulder and be as close to his scent as he could get. Harry run his finger's through the boy's hair and occasionally whispered something sweet to him, offering the comfort the omega so desperately needed.

It took him a while to fall asleep, considering that he was agitated from everything and it wasn't even nighttime yet, but when he did it was mostly without nightmares. Yeah, he was a little restless and he remembered waking up abruptly, but not knowing why, only to have Harry sooth him back to sleep.

But he supposed it was normal. Love could help him feel better and offer comfort, could make him remember why he wanted to fight for himself in the first place, but love alone wouldn't be enough to heal him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... did you like it? Please, share your thoughts with a comment here. Also, please, stay safe at home for now.


	21. I need a band-aid recovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben goes back to school, Gil needs more time, Ben and Harry have news to share and Jay is afraid of messing up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Please, it's really important to me that you comment and leave kudos here. We're starting a new phase in this fic, so thank you for being here.  
> ATTENTION: time passes quicker from now on than it has for the last few chapters. Enjoy! ♡  
> WARNINGS: talks about rape and attempted rape, survivor guilt, self victim-blaming, self worth issues, hard recovery, a little bit of self-loathing.

**BEN**  
A whole week had passed. Things were completely crazy, reporters found out about what happened and were all over the Royal Family and the guards about it. They wanted more information about the case, but thankfully Ben wasn't forced to give any interviews or press conferences about that.  
He would have a breakdown if he did.

He also started going to therapy again, deciding it would be a weekly appointment. His therapist explained to him that what he had felt about his trauma not being that bad was probably a variation of survivor's guilt. The worst had happened to his friend, but not to him, so his mind was trying to make him feel guilty, even though he was not to blame.

He felt better about admitting that yes, what happened to him was bad and yes, everything he felt about it was valid. But he knew he still had a long way to go.

Ben didn't show up at school during all that week, but he wasn't alone. Harry missed the first day and spent almost all afternoons cuddling with him, his parents were checking on him more constantly, and Mal had come to visit him every single day. She and Evie had even baked him cupcakes one day, and they were incredible.

His friends from Auradon also had come to visit him. It was sweet, even though Jane had cried the whole time and Chad and Loonie didn't know what to do with themselves. Surprisingly, Audrey was the most composed one in the group.  
He did have a good support system.

After this time, he finally felt ready to come back to his life. Gaston and Murphy had been judged quickly, no judge would let them free after messing with the king, and both got life imprisonment. That's what they deserved.  
They already had their second chance, but they wasted it hurting other people.

So, Ben woke up early and got himself ready to come back to school. He was a little nervous, but he knew it would be okay. There was no danger waiting for him out there.

As soon as he was out the castle's door, he saw Harry there waiting for him. His fiancé had offered to walk him to school and he had accepted it.   
"Hey, darling." He greeting, giving Ben a sweet little kiss right after. "I missed seeing you at school."

"I missed school quite a lot. But I had plenty to think and worry about." He answered, taking Harry's hand in his.

The Alpha nodded, understanding of his boyfriend's reasons. Ben not only had to take time to put his head in place, but he also had to deal with press and political stuff. All through written announcements, of course, but it was still tiring.  
"Everyone misses you, actually." Harry added. "Mal is so worried. She didn't use to talk to me all that much, but now she has been asking me about you everyday."

Ben laughed.  
"But she came visit me everyday." He argued. "She knew I was fine."

"Still. She cares about you a lot, you know?" The Alpha said. "Many people do." Ok, it did make Ben's heart warm.

It didn't take long for them to arrive, slightly early for their first class. Fairy Godmother waited for them with a warm smile.

"Benjamin, it's so good to have you with us again." She said, sounding genuine. "We were all worried about you."

"Thank you so much. I'm grateful to be back." He said, smiling back at her.

She hugged him quickly, putting a lot of feeling into it. After all, she had known Ben since he was a baby.  
"If there's anything the school can do for you, please let me know."  
She walked away after that, but Ben appreciated the sentiment.

He figured he would deal with a lot of worried people that day.  
"Do we share our first class?" He asked Harry.

"I think so. You have biology now, right?" He nodded. "Then, yeah. Ugh, every class was so fucking boring without you here."  
Ben giggled. It was just like Harry to be like that.

Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind and his expression became more serious.  
"Do you know when Gil is coming back?" He asked. They hadn't seen each other during the whole week, neither of them feeling all that motived to be out of their homes. They talked a lot on the phone, though. Most of the times the other omega sounded tired, but it was understandable.

Harry sighed.   
"FG excused him from classes for the month. He's doing all lessons, homework and studying in the ship though." He explained. "He's kind of going back and forth from the ship to his boyfriends' dorm."

It was probably good for him, Ben thought. He was probably going to have to attend summer classes, but he wouldn't lose the year or anything.  
"He's going to get better." Ben assured. "He told me he's going to therapy and I know he has lots of people caring for him. These are the most important things."

Gil had told him over the phone they moved his therapy sessions from once every two weeks to twice a week. It was a wise thing to do, better safe than sorry, right?

The Alpha let out a long breath.  
"Yeah, I hope so." He said. "It still sucks though. It feels like relieving all that crap with my father."  
Ben smiled sympathetically at him, wishing he could take all that pain away.

Suddenly, one moment he was looking at his boyfriend, the next one he was practically being attacked by a purple figure.  
"Ben, I'm so fucking glad you're okay!" Mal said, almost squeezing his organs out from how tight her hug was.

"Y-yeah, thanks for that, Mal." He managed to breath out.

"Hey, could you let my fia-... let my boyfriend breath?" Harry asked, and Ben wanted so hard to laugh at the almost slip up. Thankfully, Mal was so exasperated she didn't seem to notice it.

She let him go at Harry's request.   
"Sorry. I just... yeah, I was worried sick." Mal said. "Back on the Isle, I was worried that something like that would happen to Carlos and it didn't occur to me this could happen to omegas here."

That's one of his worst fears: people from the Isle feeling like not even Auradon was safe for them anymore.  
"It doesn't happen here." He assured. "It was an anomaly. I will fight with teeth and nails for that never to happen again."

"Darling, take it easy." Harry instructed, noticing the whole thing was getting to Ben. "Don't stress too hard. You're still coming back for your duties."

Yeah, he was right. The offenders were in prison, Ben and Gil were safe and so was the rest of Auradon. Things were just fine.  
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." The girl added, blushing slightly.

But Ben just shrugged.  
"It is what it is." He said. "It's not like we can pretend it never happened."

Before she could answer the bell rang loudly and startled all three of them. Now it was back to class, and Ben even admitted he missed it too.   
Mal gave him a hug and waved at Harry before vanishing in the hallway.

As the couple walked to their first class, the omega couldn't help but tease.  
"So... don't think I didn't notice you almost called me your fiancé in front of Mal." He said and the boy groaned.

"For some reason I thought you were going to let it slide." Harry said. "I kinda want to scream to the world, but I'm not sure if we should."

Ben stopped to think for a little, and it was clear that everything in the kingdom seemed too heavy after the attack. It probably wasn't the best time to such important news.   
"I don't think we should just tell everyone yet." He explained. "But we could take baby steps, you know? My parents already know, how about I go to the ship today and we tell Uma and Gil? I mean, if he's okay with having a visitor by now."

"It's fine. It'll be probably be good for him to see you and to finally have some good news too." The Alpha decided. "I can't wait to tell them."

Ben smiled, knowing they had a solid plan.  
"Deal." He said. "But we need to remind them that they can't talk to anyone about it yet."

**GIL**  
The previous night he had slept at the dorm, cuddling with his boyfriends. It didn't stop him from waking up screaming after a rough nightmare, though.

Gil was kind of going back and forth between the ship and the dorm, feeling like he needed the different kinds of comfort that those places had to offer. Even if sometimes it didn't feel like enough.

He had seen his therapist twice since the accident, and he had to admit she was helpful. The woman had told him some valuable tips about how to deal with the situation and with the lies his mind tried to tell him. It didn't mean he managed to use them every time he should, though.

At that moment his boyfriends were at school, while he sat on the bed and tried to do work on the subjects he missed. Gil was grateful that Fairy Godmother was so understanding and that Carlos agreed to help him with the studying, otherwise he wouldn't know how to proceed.   
He wasn't ready to face other people yet, wasn't ready for how nosy he knew Auradonians were.

He missed tourney practice a lot, but there was no way in hell he could go back now. It was a sport that involved a lot of touch and he knew he would flip the moment one of the Alpha players threw themselves on him.   
_Touch_ was a very sensitive topic for Gil those days. He figured it was already becoming a problem between him and his boyfriends.

He hadn't been feeling any desire to do anything sexual, which his therapist insisted that was very normal. He mostly believed her.   
But not wanting to have sex didn't mean he wanted to stay as far away from them as possible. Lately, the only time they cuddled was when going to sleep, because otherwise they seemed not to touch him at all. Especially Jay.

Carlos had at least pecked his lips quickly once or twice, but Jay hadn't even gone close to his lips. Gil desperately wanted to bring it up, but at the same time he really didn't. He knew there were lots of possibilities, and he was afraid to find out the truth.

There was the best possible outcome, the one he wanted to hear: Neither of them knew how to approach him after that whole shit show anymore. Maybe, they just weren't sure what changed, weren't sure if Gil had changed. They just wanted to give him space.

So, yeah, he really wanted to put an end to this and find out it what it was just that so they could figure it out together. But if it _wasn't_ just that, then he was sure he'd end up having a panic attack again.

Alphas were pretty territorial, right? Maybe Jay still smelt that man on him or he just couldn't forget the sight of him on top of Gil. So he kept his distance and Carlos followed his lead.

That was still an acceptable explanation. All they needed to do was wait until he felt ready to let Jay 'mark him' again and everything would be solved. But there was this other option that scared him to death...

What if it was _disgust?_ It was different, knowing something had happened a long time ago and seeing it happening or at least knowing it had been only a few days. Maybe the sight of Murphy on top of him disgusted Jay so much that he couldn't look at Gil without feeling sick, wouldn't ever want to kiss those tainted lips again.

He told himself it made no sense, he had _tried_ to give them a way out, but they didn't take it. He had _told them_ they didn't need to deal with the mess he was, so if they didn't want him anymore they would have left, right? But each day that passed he felt like this was entirely possible, maybe even likely.

Jay and Carlos were such good, considerate people. Maybe they just took pity on him, didn't want to leave him alone and broken on that hospital. Maybe they still loved him someway, probably in a platonic manner, but they couldn't stomach the thought of touching something so dirty and used up.

Not that he had been clean before, but this time it seemed worse somehow. It might be too much for them to bear and Gil couldn't blame them. The thought made silent tears stream down his face, but he knew he had to be strong.

He needed to do something about it, but he wasn't sure how. He wanted answers, but he wasn't sure if he could take them.

Gil had had a couple of nightmares about it and they were the worst kind. Jay telling him he hated him, hated the fact he had ever been with him, Carlos yelling he was nothing but a disgusting mistake... This kind of dream hurt his soul.

He spent so long lost in his thoughts, that soon the door was being opened and both of them were by his side in real life. He didn't realized that time had passed so quickly.  
"Hey, babe. Wait... you're crying?" The Alpha asked, getting closer instantly. But of fucking course, not touching him. "Did something happen?" He shook his head.

"Can we help someway?" Carlos offered and Gil nodded in response. "Then tell us. We'll always be here for you."

"K-kiss me." He begged. "Show me you're not disgusted by me."  
He saw the moment Jay realized what it was all about, his brown eyes softening even more.

The Alpha gently rubbed his cheeks with his hands, being as gentle as possible. He then came closer, finally sealing their lips after seven long days of being completely apart. It was absolute bliss.

Gil felt himself melt, wanting more of that, wanting to never let Jay go at all. He put his hands on the Alpha's shoulders, trying to bring him even closer.  
He was a little surprised once Jay added his tongue, but welcomed it gladly. He wanted contact, he wanted deep kisses. He didn't want that distance they were keeping.

The kiss felt like a encounter. Like coming home after spending months or maybe even years away from it. It might sound silly that he felt like that over a simple kiss, but Jay had this effect over him.

They only parted once the need for air became urgent, but they still didn't let go completely, hands still clutching to each other. After a few seconds looking at the Alpha, Gil turned his head to look at Carlos, still not moving his hands.   
"You too." He pleaded, voice pitiful.

Carlos kissed him more urgently than they usually did, but he didn't care. He just wanted his lovers closer and closer, as close as physically possible.   
It ended up not involving tongue at all, but they kissed for just as long as Gil and Jay had kissed.

They just breathed heavily for a few seconds, before someone decided to break the silence.   
"Ok... what exactly brought this on?" The Alpha asked cautiously.

Not even Gil was that sure about the answer. He _knew_ it was possible that this whole thing had nothing to do with they being disgusted by him, but that little 'what if?' had played tricks on his mind the whole week.

"I'm not sure... I just... you barely touch me anymore." He tried to explain. "I figured it may be because you wanted to give me space, but what if it wasn't? I'd never want you to be with me because you pitied me, when you're actually disgusted by me."

"It's not pity, Gil." Carlos assured, entangling their hands together. Showing Gil he was there and wasn't planing to go anywhere. "And it's certainly not disgust either."

"The only disgusting people in all of this are Gaston and Black Murphy." Jay said. "I could never feel that for you, babe. We love you, I thought you knew that."

"I did know. I still do, I think. It's just..." The omega struggled with his words. "My mind keeps trying to make me believe things and sometimes I'm not strong enough to fight the thoughts."

"How long have you felt like this?" Carlos asked.

"I think... since you rescued me." He admitted. "It's been nagging on my mind since then, but it became stronger each day."

Jay looked at him with sad eyes, his pain clear on his expressions.  
"You were just... so vulnerable after it happened. I love you and I would never hurt you, but I'm aware of the fact I'm an Alpha just like these men." He explained. "I was so afraid that I would be pressuring or scaring you so I just... kept my distance. I'm sorry, babe. I should have asked what you needed me to do."

"And I should have told you how I felt." Gil admitted. "I'm sorry for that. At first, I didn't want to bother you two with that. But then I started to get so, so afraid that the way you saw me had really changed..."

"This won't ever happen." Carlos said. "Especially over something that isn't your fault, babe."

"Gil... we both knew you had gone through that before." Jay sounded confused. "Why would that happening again change how we felt?"

The omega realized they really had no idea what he meant, which was both frustrating and a relief. He blushed as he realized what he was going to have to explain.

"Jay... you saw it. You entered that place and saw me naked and spread out with that man on top of me." He said. "I was afraid the sight would make you change your mind."

The Alpha's jaw clenched at the mention of Murphy. It was clear he would have killed that man if he could.  
"But I barely saw anything." He explained. "It was mostly a blur. Harry tackled him to the ground quickly, and then I went to make sure you were okay."

"Yeah, but you _still_ saw something." He insisted. "And even if you hadn't, it's different vaguely knowing that something happened a long time ago and vividly knowing it just happened."

Carlos shook his head vehemently.  
"I'm sorry we made you feel that way." He said.

"No, you didn't do anything. It was all me." He explained. "Sometimes my feelings and thoughts get out of hand."   
His therapist helped with a lot, but he knew it would take time until his mind really calmed down about all of this.

Jay caressed his cheek sweetly, getting close and staring into his eyes as he said:  
"Please, promise if you ever feel that way again you will tell us. If you ever have a doubt, if there's anything you want to know or you want to say, please do it." Gil nodded, but the Alpha insisted. "I mean it, babe. I can't do this if it makes you constantly suffer alone with your thoughts about us."

It should feel like an ultimatum, but it didn't. Jay stared at him so softly that Gil couldn't help but feel bad for ever doubting his feelings. They both loved him and he was a fool for thinking it could be any different.

He smiled and leaned towards Jay's hand.   
"I promise." He said. "And the same goes to you, guys. If there's anything you guys want to know about... it or how I feel over it, you just need to ask." Both of them nodded.

Jay gave him a sweet peck on the lips, more to prove a point than anything, but it made Gil giggle happily. They all lacked a little on their communication skills, but they were working on it and everything was fine again.  
Well, not _everything_ but all that could be fixed by them.

"Now that we know keeping our distance was a terrible idea, I think we should make up for the lost time." Carlos suggested.

Gil laughed.  
"Yeah, you guys owe me a whole week of cuddles and kisses." He said.

"It's only fair you get them all right away, babe." Jay answered. "You're sleeping here today?"

"Nah. I told Uma I'd be sleeping on the ship." Gil explained. "But it's still early. I can go there once it gets dark."

Things went smoothly from then on. The three ended up exchanging from small pecks to open mouthed kisses, hugging and laying on each other's laps and even tickling each other on a particular goofy moment. It was the nicest evening Gil had since things went downhill last week.

It was the first time since the kidnapping Gil felt true happiness again and it gave him a lot of hope for the future. He had been on his way to recovery when it happened, and now he was getting back on track.

But at that moment he really understood he could do it. He could get back to the point he was, he could surpass it even. He just needed to work hard on things that healed his mind, like therapy, and spend time doing what healed his soul, which was moments like these.

**HARRY**  
He and Ben went back to the ship right after school ended, but Gil wasn't there yet so they decided to wait until both him and Uma were present to tell the good news.

"So, what do you wanna do while we wait?" Harry asked. "We could watch some TV or eat some snacks."

Ben approached him with a shy smile.  
"Or... we could do what we usually do and go to your bedroom make out."

That made Harry raise an eyebrow at him. They hadn't really done much making out since the previous week, for obvious reasons.  
"You're sure?" He asked, rather uncertainly.

Ben smiled widened.  
"It's sweet that you're worried." He said. "But I'm fine... Well, fine enough to do this at least. I can't pretend what happened to me was nothing, but I don't want to let this stop me from living my life either."

It was understandable. Well, if Ben felt ok enough to do this, Harry wasn't about to complain.

So, they both went to Harry's bedroom, as usual. The Alpha sat on the bed with a side smile on his face and Ben sat on his lap with a matching smile. They started kissing softly, softer than usual.

But it didn't take long for tongues to start sliding and Harry to get a firm grip on the boy's waist. He decided to let his hand there until Ben asked for it to be anywhere else, but he didn't change the way they have always kissed; urgent and fiery.

He would do everything to make him comfortable, but he trusted his fiancé enough to tell him if something was making he feel bad in any way. Harry was just like that, he didn't trust easily but once he did, he did it completely.

Ben seemed ok with his hands staying there, so he didn't try anything else. The kisses went on as passionate as they had always been.  
"Goodness, I'm so glad I get to be your mate." Ben murmured against his lips. "I can barely wait."

It made Harry smile genuinely. He couldn't imagine not spending every single day of his life with Ben by his side.  
"Me too, yer highness." He said, and they made somewhat of an interlude in their kissing. "And you still have a lot about the mating ceremony to teach me about."

Almost everything, actually. It was something exclusively from Auradon, Harry had never even heard about it until Ben first mentioned it. He had only the vaguest idea of what it really was.

"There many things and rituals, colors you need to use, food we need to serve, special clothing... but I promise is not as complicated as it might seem." Well, it did sound pretty complicated. "I can explain it later... but there was something I was thinking about..."  
Ben sounded worried and the Alpha didn't like it one bit.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked. "Look, if you're second guessing this-" He was about to say they could wait, but he got interrupted.

"No, no. I'm 100% sure about this, as long as you are too. It's just... you told me once that if we ever got mated, you wouldn't want to reclaim your reigning powers as my mate." Ben explained. "But I want you to know it's fine you changed your mind. As my Alpha, legally, you'll have the same rights over the kingdom as I do."

He shook his head, definitely not wanting to take any of the power that was Ben's.   
"No, darling. This kingdom is yours, and you're the best person to take care of it." He assured. "I'll even sign something giving up these rights, if you want me to."

"No, love. I trust you, there's no need for this. You just don't participate in royal meetings and such, and that's it." The omega said. "But if you ever change your mind, just talk to me."

"I won't change my mind, but thanks anyway." Harry said. "Now, where were we?"  
Ben giggled adorably before holding his fiancé's cheeks firmly and going back to kissing.

They were comfortable enough around each other to be like this, one moment they were heavily making out, the other they had deep talks and then it was just sweet kissing. They were carefree in each other's company.

Eventually, that completely still hand on the waist got moved by Ben, who placed a little lower, extremely close to his ass. Well, the Alpha was more than happy to comply.  
But he still decided not to grab it. It was their first real make out session since _that_ had happened, so he didn't want to push his luck.

And they didn't need that to have fun. Just having Ben there in his arms were enough for him, he knew he was lucky. He was lucky both for having Ben in his life in the first place and for his lover having come back for him unharmed.

Time passed quickly when they were like that; completely submerged into their little world. So it didn't take that long for them to hear Gil's voice as he talked to Uma in the kitchen.  
They didn't even hear the front door opening at all.  
"I guess it's now or never." Ben said, already getting up from the Alpha's lap. He looked a little nervous, but he also looked... happy.

Harry couldn't help but smile at him. He got up from the bed and intertwined their hands as they left the room.

"Hey, guys." Gil greeted as soon as they approached. He looked better, maybe a little happier, than he did the day before. "Ben, I'm so happy to see you again. I wanted to visit you, but... there was so much going on. I mean, there still is."

He didn't need to add anything for them to get that there was a lot going on inside his mind.   
Gil had been a lot more afraid these last few days, practically not going anywhere alone. Harry was sure Jay had walked him from the dorm to the ship, just like either him or Uma did when it was the other way around.

But he still seemed to be a little better than he was one week prior. Baby steps, right?

"It's fine, Gil. I also wanted to visit, but things got crazy with media and damage control. And well... inside my head a little too." He admitted. "But I think I'm ok now."  
Gil smiled, happy that his friend was getting better.

"So... me and Ben kinda have an announcement to make." Harry said, trying not to sound too excited.

Uma looked at him like he was about to murder him, which made the Alpha pretty confused until she talked.  
"Harry... I swear to God, if you got the King himself pregnant..." She threatened. "No, wait. You haven't spent a single heat or rut together, have you?"

Harry couldn't help but laugh at his overprotective captain. Ben, however, blushed beet red.  
"No, we haven't." He assured. "And no, I'm not pregnant."

"Then, what's it?" Gil asked, frowning slightly.

The Alpha took a deep breath before finding the courage to talk.  
"We are engaged!" He exclaimed happily, holding tight onto Ben's hand. "We're going to get mated as soon as we finish school."

Uma's jaw dropped and Gil seemed like an over-excited puppy.  
"This is so cool, guys! I'm so happy for you." The omega said. "Really... you two are a perfect fit. You really deserve to be together forever."

After the initial shock, Uma talked too.  
"Harry, I'm so proud of you. I didn't think I would see this really happening, but I'm glad I am." She said. "Gil is right, you totally deserve this."

Harry was so damn happy. Gil and Uma were his family, so getting their approval meant to him what getting Belle and Adam's blessing meant to Ben.

"Thanks, guys." He said, almost beaming with happiness. "But, please, don't tell anyone yet. We're keeping it a secret for now."

"Glad we're the first ones to know." Uma said. "Honestly... I can see you're going to be happy together."

"Thank you. I can still barely believe this is happening." Ben said, with the biggest smile on his face. "Having a mating ceremony with someone I love was my dream growing up."

"You better believe it, darling." Harry said. "'Cause this is very real, _we_ are very real." He gave the boy a quick, sweet kiss.

"C'mon, guys. Group hug!" Gil exclaimed happily. Both Uma and Harry rolled their eyes, but all of them ended up complying.

**JAY**  
It was time to go to bed already, but Jay didn't feel sleepy at all. He felt anxious.

"Is everything ok?" Carlos asked, aware of the state his boyfriend was in, as they were tangled on their bed.

"I'm just... worried. About Gil, you know?" He said. Worry was almost everything he did lately.

"Hey, you know he's safe at the ship." Carlos reminded him. "Uma and Harry are as protective as you are."

"I know this, it's not I mean." He said. "I mean... aren't you scared of fucking this up? Because I am terrified."

"What do you mean?" Carlos asked, raising his body a little to look straight at his boyfriend.

"Like, I just spent a whole week doing something that did nothing but make Gil suffer. I love him, 'Los, I don't want to see him hurting and I definitely don't want to cause that hurt." He said. "I wish I knew what to do."

The omega gave him a sad little smile.  
"But you don't. And that's ok, because I don't know either and sometimes I bet not even Gil knows what he wants us to do. It's trial and error." He explained. "I don't like to see him hurting either, but the truth is he _already is._ All we can do is find ways to help him get better."

As always, what Carlos said did make a lot of sense. But it didn't mean Jay got rid of his worries at all.

"It's just... I don't know how to behave, not when what happened is so recent." The Alpha said. "You remember the day it almost happened to you, back on the Isle? When I found you last minute?"

He wasn't even sure why he was asking, of fucking course Carlos remembered it. Not only because it was a damn traumatizing experience, but also because it led them to make an important decision afterwards.

The omega answered anyway.  
"Of course I do." He said. "You can't forget things like that."

"I was so unsure how to act after that... Fuck, I spent months, no, screw that, years hating myself for not killing that guy when I had the chance. I felt so much anger, but I couldn't let it show 'cause I knew you would need gentleness and care." He remembered. "And now It's like I'm stuck back there again. Only it's kinda worse, 'cause the guy fucking managed to go all the way this time."

He felt out of breath once he finished talking. Well, at least it felt good to let it all out somehow.

Carlos started caressing his cheek sweetly.  
"I love that you care so much, babe. And I think Gil does too." He said. "But life doesn't happen the way we want it to happen. Especially to us, you know that."

He really did know. Everyone from the Isle knew how life could really conspire against you or your happiness sometimes.

"It's okay to be angry. Let it out at tourney, pick an extra sport to play for the season. Whatever you want." The omega said. "You think I'm not angry? I am. I am so damn angry. I just... think I am sadder than I am angry."

People could react in different ways to the same events. And, well, he and Carlos were very different people.   
"Yeah... it's fucking sad too." Jay admitted. "He was recovering so well..."

"He still is recovering. He's trying his best." Carlos reminded him. "But like... he was so happy before it happened. I don't think he had ever been happier, I don't think we had ever been happier."

Thinking about it was absolutely painful, but they couldn't stop doing it. Gil was on their minds 24/7.  
"I just hope I don't mess things up and make them worse." Jay sighed.

"We can't make sure we'll never make the wrong choice. All we can do is be careful." The omega explained. "That's all he expects of us."

Yeah, it was true. Gil was the sweetest person ever, he wouldn't expect them to be perfect. It didn't mean Jay didn't wish to be so, but this was out of his control.

"You're right, babe. Like always." He admitted. "Sorry I freaked out like that." He kissed his boyfriend's forehead sweetly, finally feeling like he could at least try to fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you enjoy it? Don't forget to share your opinions with me, I appreciate it. Also, I hope everyone stays safe during these hard times♡  
> Oh, and don't forget the pace in the story got faster again.


	22. Every kiss it gets a little sweeter, It's getting better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Harry let Auradon know about their future mating, Gil is working on his recovery and Ben teaches his fiancé some things about the ceremony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I have news: I finally finished writting this fic. Don't worry, many things will happen yet. I'll, of course, keep giving you guys time to propperly read and make your reviews. Just wanted to let you know that, but we still have chapters to come.  
> Oh, don't forget things are quicker now. Enjoy! ♡  
> WARNINGS: mentions of past rape/non-con, recovery.

**HARRY**   
A few weeks passed and he and Ben decided it was time to finally let the rest of the kingdom know about the mating. That way they could start officially preparing everything for the ceremony.

He knew Ben had already talked to Mal, a few days after they told the crew. The girl was really excited for them and, a week after that, they told the rest of her gang too.   
It was time to let the people of Auradon know about it, so they organized a Royal announcement in front of the castle.

Harry was, of course, very nervous about all of that, knowing there would be reporter, paparazzi and many curious citizens there. This time, he would let Ben handle _absolutely everything._ And if something still went wrong Adam, Belle and many guards would be there.

"Ready?" Ben asked him, smiling wildly. They were both inside the castle, waiting to go out there and break the news.

Harry snorted.  
"You know I'm not." He said. "I swear you're the only Auradonian I'm completely comfortable around."

That made Ben giggle, and Harry always thought that was adorable.  
"I'll try to take that as a compliment." He said, but he still smiled. "C'mon, people will be happy I'm getting mated."

The Alpha was not so sure about that.  
"Maybe, but not so happy that you're getting mated to _me._ " He reminded the boy.

Ben seemed to consider what he said, but then shrugged.  
"Well, I guess that's not really our problem, is it?" He asked, which made Harry smile.

Out of the blue, a nervous looking guard showed up next to them.  
"Excuse me, your majesty." The guy said. "It's time. People are waiting outside.  
Alright... it was now or never.

Ben grabbed his hand firmly, trying to pass the confidence he was feeling, or at least appearing to feel. When they opened the door, still hand in hand, they saw a goddamn lot of people waiting for them. Yeah, lots of paparazzi and reporters, but most of them were just normal people.

It didn't take Harry too long to spot their friends in the crowd. He was happy to see Gil had come, considering that he had been avoiding crowded places since what happened. Being there was a sign of the fact he was getting better.

There were loud sounds of talking, but you couldn't make out what was being said at all. But he was pretty sure it was all gossip about what the hell the announcement was about. Well, they were all about to find out.

"Silence, please." The head of the guards yelled at the crowd. "Our King has an important announcement to make."  
  
Ben smiled bright at him, a happy little twinkle showing in his eyes.  
He took a deep breath, looking at all those people who were eager to know the truth.

"People of Auradon. I, your King Benjamin Florian, have a major announcement to make." He said, confidently. "It's a pleasure to inform you that I am engaged to Harry Hook and we will soon welcome him in the royal family with a mating ceremony."  
There was a small moment of _absolute_ silence after that.

And then everything exploded in noise. Their friends and some other people cheered happily, others talked angrily to whoever was beside them, and there were people who yelled too. But again, Harry couldn't understand a thing they were saying.

"Alright, I understand this is something big for all of Auradon." He said. "So, I will answer one question at a time. Please, be patient and silent while I do so."   
The boy managed to be so formal when he was in King mode, it was a little endearing.

Of course, a bunch of people raised their hands, desperate to be seen by Ben. The first one he chose to ask a question was a brunette beta with big glasses on.   
"What will be the date of the mating ceremony? Will it be open to the public?" She asked.

"A little after the end of the school year. Which means over a month from today." He said. "However, it will be a closed ceremony. Only people who get invitations will be able to enter."   
That was definitely a good idea. No way any paparazzi would be in their wedding or else they would find a way to mess everything up. Some people made unhappy sounds in the crowd, but Harry didn't really care.

The next person allowed to ask was a dark-skinned omega guy, who seemed nervous to be there.   
"Hm, your majesty... what is the position of the rest of the Royal family regarding the mating?" He asked.

Ben smiled.  
"Harry followed our tradition and got my parents' blessing for this." He explained, and he looked so damn happy.

"Won't we get to hear anything from our future King?" A ginger Alpha with long hair asked. Well, Harry wouldn't ever get used to being called that.

Ben looked at him quite nervously before answering.  
"My fiancé prefers not to take part in most of royal business." Was all answer that guy got before the omega was moving to the next person.

"Are we supposed to just forget the scandals this man has been part of?" Some really tall girl with short blond hair asked. "With all due respect, your majesty, most of us don't trust someone like him to be our king."

Harry thought Ben might be upset, but he just smiled politely.  
"Fortunately, this is not up to any of you." The omega said, not leaving any room for arguing.

After that, everything went smoothly, no questions too aggressive or out of line. And yeah, traditionalists weren't jumping out of happiness, but they didn't make a scene either. The people who really mattered were all happy for them and it was enough.

Some people tried to make questions about what had happened to Ben, about the kidnapping and all of that, but he dodged all of them. Everything that these people needed to know had already been said, and there was a lot they weren't entitled to know.

In fact, everything went better than the Alpha had expected. He didn't need to say a word, Ben was a natural when it came to dealing with the public, and no big fuss was made.

After everything was over, they went back to the castle. Harry admitted his hands were trembling just a little bit from all the emotions, but his future mate looked so fucking happy and it made it all worth it.

As soon as the doors closed behind them Ben grabbed him by his shirt and kissed him urgently, putting all of his feelings into that. Harry, of course, answered just as fiercely.  
"What was that for?" He asked as soon as they parted.

"I'm just... so happy. And so in love with you." The omega answered. "The last few weeks have been hard for me, but you helped make my days better every time."

Before meeting Ben, most of the time Harry believed that he couldn't ever do good things. Not _genuinely good_ things, at least. He believed he had a dark soul, that he couldn't help those around him without messing everything up.So hearing Ben say those things meant the world to him.

"I'm glad to help." He said, gently caressing the boy's cheek. "I love you, yer highness. I'd anything for you."

He remembered Ben had said, one of these days, that his therapist had explained once that people needed a support system to heal well. He was so fucking glad to be part of Ben's.

**JAY**  
They had just came back from the castle, after hearing Ben's announcement. That week had been a really full one for Jay, Gil and Carlos.

First of all, Gil started going to school again. It was awkward at first, since some people had many questions to ask or some odd stares to give, but things were mostly okay. The omega didn't have any type of panic attack or flashback at school, which was really good.   
The last nightmare he had had been four days prior, and both his boyfriends woke up with him tossing and turning on the bed, but hey, he wasn't screaming. Also, the last panic attack had been over a week before that, so things were slowly getting a little better.

They needed to be thankful for the small things, the baby steps Gil took. Things would be fine again eventually, they just had to be patient.

Today they had the announcement to watch. The place had been very crowded and he was afraid Gil might have been afraid or uncomfortable, but he just seemed excited for his friends. It was a little tiring to spend all that time standing, but it wasn't that difficult either.

And the next day, Jay had an important tourney game. The last one of the season, which meant it was the last game ever, at least when it came to the high school team of tourney. It also meant it would be the last game Carlos would be cheering on.

They really wanted Gil to be there with them, but neither of them were sure how to bring it up. Well, they had to do it anyway.

"Hey, babe..." The Alpha started, still not knowing exactly what to say. "So... I kinda wanted to ask you something?"

Gil sat up quickly, a worried frown on his face.  
"Is something wrong?" he asked, but Jay was quick to shook his head.

"No, it's just... well, you remember tomorrow we have a game, right?" He asked.

"Oh... I almost forgot it was tomorrow." Gil said. "But you know I can't play, right? I haven't shown up to practice in over a month. I'm not part of the team anymore."

He sounded sad and that's exactly what he was trying to avoid.  
"Yeah, but... we were wondering..." Carlos piped in. "If you'd like to come and watch or if you think it won't do you any good."

At that Gil looked almost... surprised?  
"What? Of course I'm coming to see you two. I thought you knew that." He said. "It's your last game ever."

"You sure, babe?" The Alpha asked. "We were a little afraid that you'd feel sad or left out for being there when you're not playing anymore."

Gil sighed, a soft look in his eyes.   
"Look, I _am_ sad that I'm not playing anymore. I love tourney, but I was just not ready to come back yet. What happened to me shook me up and I had no condition to be at practice at all. " He explained. "This is something I can't change. But sitting here and feeling sorry about myself won't change a damn thing either."

It did make sense. There were just some things that no one could fix magically or stop from happening, but they could chose the way they dealt with these things.

"Are you sure? We get it that it might be weird for you." Carlos asked. "We won't be sad if you decide to stay here."

Gil took both of their hands in his, with a smile on his face.   
"I promise I'll be fine. I wanna watch you two, I wanna root for you." He said. "I'm even working on making a poster."

"Can I see it?" Jay asked immediately, really curious about it.   
Gil giggled and pecked his lips quickly.

"Sorry, it's a surprise." He said. "My therapist said to keep myself busy, so that's one of the things I'm trying out."

"Well, I'm sure it's gonna be beautiful." Carlos said. "I can't wait to see it."

"You'll both get to see it tomorrow." Gil assured. "But I gotta say I'm kinda proud of it."  
He looked and sounded so cute that Jay couldn't help but reach out and kiss his lips sweetly.

Once the peck was over, Gil gave him a playful smile before getting up and then sitting on his lap.  
"Feeling some kind of way?" Carlos was the one to ask.

"Maybe? I want to see how far I can go, you know?" He offered, a little shyly. "I think testing my limits is fine as long as I don't push too much. Is it... cool with you guys?"

Jay rubbed his thumb against Gil's cheek gently.  
"Your wish is my command, babe." He said, before starting another kiss, this one deeper.

They had made out again since what happened, but it wasn't anything sexual. Maybe sensual? He wasn't so sure, it was mostly tongue kisses with Jay's hands firmly gripped on either his shoulders or his waist, not daring to let them go anywhere else.

In fact, everything was slow for them during the last month. He and Carlos had had sex only once during that whole time, on a night Gil spent in the ship, but it just felt... wrong to do it knowing he couldn't be there.    
When they started the relationship, they had stated that Jay was allowed one on one time with each of them, no big deal, but for some reason, now it felt like they were betraying him somehow, knowing he wanted to be there, but couldn't.

So yeah, they decided not to do much until Gil was ready to join them again.

At the moment, the Alpha started exploring his boyfriend's mouth with his tongue slowly, making him let out a small moan. Once they parted for breath, Jay turned his head to give Carlos some attention too.

They kissed slow and sensual, in the same pace he had been kissing Gil. The goal here was to cherish each other and the time they had together. No one was in a hurry to do anything.

There was something truly inebriating about taking turns between kissing the two of them. The sensations so different, yet so similar... he loved it, he loved anything that had to do with these two.

They parted with a sequence of sweet pecks, making all three of them giggle. Not everything had to be serious, after all.

When he came back to Gil, the omega was a little eager, more fiery than before and Jay responded as such. He was becoming better at trying to match the way his boyfriend was feeling.  
  
After a few seconds the boy took his hands and guided them lower on his body, in a way that he was grabbing to his hips instead. Jay decided at that point it was probably safe enough to kiss his neck while they catch their breaths. It was something he knew Gil adored.

He was right, since the omega started to make sweet little sounds, like small moans against him. Jay couldn't help, but be a little worked up by that. He felt himself start to grow hard.

Clearly, Gil felt it too.  
"I think... I think we should stop now." He said, slowly leaving the Alpha's lap. He immediately missed the warmth. "I'm so... I mean I'm, hm, I'm not happy we have to stop now."

Jay knew what this was. Gil had been working with his therapist on not saying 'I'm sorry' for things that were not his fault and trying to find a different sentence that wouldn't put the blame on himself.  
So, this was progress and Jay was proud.

"I'm glad you told me." He said, and pecked the omega's cheek.

"I'm getting better at realizing what will make me freak out before I actually... you know, freak out." Gil admitted. "But it's still frustrating."

"I'm sorry, babe." Carlos said. "It's not going to be like that forever, you know? You're already so much better than you were a month ago."

"I know, but still... I wanna be intimate with you. I'm still the same guy I was before. I still have a fucking sex drive!" He complained. "But I know damn well if I try anything past this I will have a panic attack and it's so fucking unfair."

It hurt to hear Gil sounding like that. Jay could only imagine how hard it was; your body, your brain and your heart giving you completely different orders and fucking you over in the process.

"I know, babe. Nothing about this is fair." Carlos said. "But no one is in a rush. We started slowly at the beginning, we can be slow again."

"I know we can, I just wish we didn't have to." He explained. "It's so weird. I desperately want to touch you two, be naked around you, have Jay making love to me again... but at the same time, thinking about it makes me want to cry or die. My mind is a fucking mess."

"Not a mess, just healing." Jay reminded him. Gil smiled, taking him hand in his sweetly. "So... how about we cuddle a little, maybe watch a movie? You know, take our minds off of this?"

Both omegas nodded, seeming excited.  
"I'll go get popcorn." Carlos said, already standing up. "And maybe some chocolate too."

So yeah, recovery is hard and it has layers. Helping someone, supporting them while they heal is also hard, it requires a lot of abilities, but it's worth it in the end.

**BEN**  
Now that the people already knew, the preparation and organization of the ceremony could truly begin. Ben was so, _so_ excited for that part.

He and Harry were at Ben's bedroom in the castle, trying to sort out some details.   
"So... you'll come to live here with me, right?" He asked, as he wrote some things down. "'Cause if so, then we have lots of things to change around here so that the room feels yours as well. Or we could move to another room?"

Harry seemed to think a little, before saying:  
"I don't know, yer highness, I was thinking you could come live in the ship with me."

Oh... _oh._ It made sense, in most of inter-kingdom matings cases the omega would leave his home and follow their Alpha. So, yeah, the natural thing to do would be to leave the castle and go with Harry.

Sure, it would be a little awkward, since technically the ship belongs to Uma and not to his fiancé... but maybe they could make it work somehow?

Suddenly, he heard a loud laugh.  
"Chill, darling. I'm only playing." The Alpha said. "Of course I'd never take you away from this shiny castle to make you live in that ship.I love the place, but I know it kinda sucks when compared with what you have."  
He admitted that this made him breathe easier.

"Don't mess with me like that." He complained, half-hearted only. "I was already trying to figure out how to fit all my stuff in your bedroom."  
This made the Alpha laugh again.

"Don't worry, yer highness. I don't want to take anything from you, I just wanna... add into your life." He explained. "I don't want to take half of your kingdom and I don't want to take your castle away either."  
And Harry had the audacity not to consider himself romantic...

All of it meant a lot to Ben. He couldn't imagine having a mate this incredible, someone who loved and understood him so wholly.

"Thanks, love." The omega said. "What about you? Is there anything specific _you_ want?"

"I will still go to the ship sometimes, I am still part of that crew." He explained. "That's all I really want. The rest isn't really important."

"What about the ceremony? Is there anything you want?" Ben asked. Yeah, this was his dream, but he didn't want to neglect his fiancé wishes when it came to that.

"Yeah, I want one thing." He answered. "For you to tell me how this works. Because I honestly have no idea." This made Ben giggle.

"Why did you agree to do something that you don't have a clue about how it's done?" He inquired.

"I know it is important to you, you talk about it all the time. I know this is your dream and I want you to have it." Harry said. "But it would be nice if you explained to me how this thing is."

It was no hardship, he had always liked talking about this, but knowing he was _so close_ to actually getting mated? That was all he wanted to talk about.

So, he spent the next hour trying to explain to the Alpha what a mating ceremony meant and how it was done. He talked about how colors were important in the ceremony, about the white tunic and veil omegas wore, and the dark red clothes Alphas wore.

He talked about how the omegas of honor would wear pastel toned suits or dresses, and each groom would have a Best Alpha, wearing bright red, and a Best Omega, wearing light grey. And how beta guests were supposed to wear bright, livid colors. Well, except for red, of course.    
All other omega guests also wore lighter tones and the Alphas wore darker tones.

There was a bunch of symbolism in all of that, and Ben tried to be quick while explaining that part. He didn't want to make his lover bored.

He talked about the decorations too, how there were flowers absolutely everywhere and it was just _so_ beautiful. How on the end of the ceremony, people took the petals off and threw them on the couple as they walked off the Isle.

He talked about the vows, and about the feast, the music and what the marriage officiant would say. What he liked the most was explaining the exchange of rings; the Alpha gave the omega a white and silver ring, while the omega gave a black and red ring.   
It didn't stop there, the omega also got an special necklace, the pendant chosen by the Alpha and was supposed to have some special meaning to the couple.

The moment they start to exchange their vows is the moment the Alpha takes the veil from their omega off, and their face is revealed for the first time in the ceremony. After the necklace, just some more words from the officiant and the ceremony ends.

Younger Ben didn't thought he'd have to explain the concept of a mating ceremony to his future mate, but it did add to the fun.

"And then that's it? After the necklace thing people will throw petals at us, we kiss and everybody goes home?" Harry asked, trying hard to understand.

"No, we'll have a first dance like a common wedding first. We'll eat something from the feast, we'll take pictures, talk to our guests and then... you'll carry me bridal style to the castle. Or to the car if we chose some place distant to the castle to be our venue. And they'll throw more petals." The omega explained. "Then it's over. The guests usually stay there eating and dancing for some more time and then they leave too."

He hoped it wasn't too much. He could see how these small details could confuse someone who had never heard about this kind of thing before.

"And then? What happens?" Harry said and Ben knew what he meant by the wicked little smile he wore.

"Then we go to our chambers and... consummate the mating." He said, blushing slightly. "We become one."  
His lover grinned at that.

"That's a sweet way to put it. I liked it." He said, slowly caressing Ben's cheek with his thumb.

"It's crazy to think it will happen in a month or so." Ben said, truly mesmerized about it. "Not long ago I felt like it might never happen."

Harry's tone was serious when he spoke again.  
"It doesn't have to happen in a month." He said. "I know you've been through a lot lately, we could take it slower if you're not ready yet."

"What? No. I'm literally counting the days, I don't wanna postpone this." Ben assured. "What happened was terrible, but I don't want it to hold me back, hold _us_ back. I can't wait to be your mate, love..."

That made the Alpha smile, and kiss Ben firmly. He felt himself melt at the touch.

"This whole thing still confuses me a little." Harry admitted, as soon as they parted. "But I have more than a month to get it right. Maybe more, if you ever decide you need more time."

"Don't worry too much about it, I'll take care of most things." He said. "But if you have any doubts just ask me, alright?"

Harry nodded and from then on the traditions and explaining were left aside, as they started kissing lazily, not really making out and not really exchanging pecks either. Just enjoying feeling carefree again after all the stress they went through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it❤ Thank you so much for every single comment and for all the kudos❤  
> Please, keep doing it and, of course, stay safe!


	23. Break these clocks, forget about time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gil has an interesting talk with someone, Ben and Harry postpone the mating in a month, Jay is still afraid of messing up and Evie has work to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please, don't forget to leave kudos and comments, it's really important for an author to feel motivated to post.   
> So, I'm finally establishing how many chapters this baby will have: 27 chapters + an epilogue. Stay safe and enjoy! ♡  
> WARNINGS: 'sexism', bigotry, mentions of rape/non-con.

**GIL**  
It was weird coming for a tourney game when he wasn't about to play.   
He missed being on the team, missed running around the field...  
But he was still excited to watch the game, he could still support his boyfriends and his team that way.

Carlos was stretching with the other cheerleaders and Jay had just went to the locker room to change. So Gil just sat on the bleachers waiting for his friends to arrive and make him company, since he had arrived pretty early.

He felt someone poking his shoulder and turned to look, not liking who he saw there at all.   
"What the hell do you want?" He asked Liam. He definitely didn't want to face that guy. "You must be really happy that I'm not playing. Is that what you wanted? To rub this on my face?"

The boy sighed, looking almost hurt.  
"No, I just wanted to talk to you before the game." He explained. "Please... it's important."

Gil considered saying no and telling him to fuck off. He was there to have a good time, not to hear any of the crap Liam usually said. But the Alpha just looked so... devastated?  
Yeah, Gil had a big heart, sue him.  
"Just say it, man." He conceded.

"It's just... I know I told you not to be on the team anymore, but that's not what I meant." He said. "I've heard about what happened to you and I need you to know I would never want something like that to happen."

Gil raised an eyebrow at him.  
"Go on." He said.

"Well... I just felt really guilty when I found out why you had quit." He explained. "No one should have to go through that."

"So, let me get this straight." The omega started. "You're here to tell me you like that I'm off the team, but you're just not happy that I had to be kidnapped and abused for this to happen?"

Liam looked really guilty at that, which was _good_ because he should. That guy had been a real asshole to him and that was not the kind of person he wanted in his life, especially during that moment.

Liam sighed.  
"That's the thing... I wanted you off the team because I thought you were weak, that omegas were weak. I thought that, yeah, you're good but eventually you were going to slow us down 'cause you're omega." He explained. "But if even half of what I heard that happened to you is true and you're still here today, then you're stronger than every Alpha in this team together."

He wasn't exactly wrong, only Gil knew the amount of sheer strength it took him to get out of bed the few days after what happened.

His boyfriends, his friends and even his therapist talked about how strong he was all the time, but it was nice to hear such a random person saying it.  
"So... I was hoping that maybe you'll forgive me for acting the way I did." He went on. "Because I really am sorry. I know we will probably never be friends, but I didn't want us to be enemies either."

"If you want to be forgiven there's one thing you need to understand: don't undermine an omega like that ever again." Gil wasn't sure why he was suddenly courageous to say these things. "I am not strong, _despite_ being an omega. I'm strong and I'm an omega. Ben is strong, Carlos is strong, Jane is strong, Audrey is strong... I'm not an anomaly.This is the norm."

The boy seemed deep in thought for a few seconds, Gil started to think he might say something stupid again, but eventually he said:  
"Ok, then. I won't do it again, I swear."

Gil smiled, and shook the Alpha's hand firmly. This was definitely a win. Soon Liam left and disappeared into the Locker room.  
That had been a weird interaction...

It didn't take long for the game to start, after that. And, hell, was it a tough one. Gil wished desperately he was there to help them, he knew he would have made a difference. He had been an important player and he knew it.

But watching from the bleachers had its perks too. After all, _damn_ did Jay looked delicious when he played, all sweaty and concentrated on the game. Gil found himself licking his lips from time to time.

Carlos was an excellent cheerleader, he and Audrey being the only ones who were able to do the most adventurous flips and he also gave assistance for many moves of the others. It really was a kind of dance, or something close to it, and Carlos had always been magestic when it came to dancing.

The final moments of the game made Gil chew on his nails from how nervous he was, since it was tied until the very last minute. It was truly nerve-wrecking to watch that from afar.

But, in the end, he had nothing to worry about since Jay was the one to make the winning score, being so close to the end. Everyone cheered and laughed and screamed, it was really an explosion of sound in that place. Gil felt so happy and so damn proud.

Once the game was over, the omega left the bleachers in a hurry, meeting an exhausted, but happy Jay on the field.   
"You did it, babe! We're the champions!" He practically threw himself into his arms. "We won!"

Jay was laughing happily, and squeezed the boy in his arms.  
"We did it, babe." He said. "You helped the team get to this point. You're part of this too."

Soon Carlos was running towards them too.  
"Babe, you won, you did it!" Carlos yelled happily. "The championship is ours!" Jay gave him a firm kiss at the words, probably all pumped of adrenaline still.

When the trophy was given to the team, their team mates all worked together to raise Jay above all of them. He was their captain and the one who saved the game last-minute, after all.

Jay had the trophy in his hand, raising it above his head happily, as he shouted:  
"Let's give it up for our team's star who couldn't play tonight: Gil."

A chant of 'Gil! Gil! Gil!' echoed among the players and he couldn't help but blush a little at the whole thing. It was not like he was expecting it, but it was still pretty sweet.

After twenty minutes or so, things were calmer: most players had already cooled down, many people were already leaving and both Carlos and Gil waited for their boyfriend to leave the locker room.   
"It was a nice game. I'm glad I came to watch it." Gil said.

Carlos smiled.  
"I'm not exactly a tourney master." He admitted, making the other omega giggle. "But I do know Jay makes a nice view when he plays."  
He added a little wink at the end that made Gil burst into laughter.

"You know, you also rock in the cheerleading." He said, once he managed to stop laughing. "Have you ever thought about becoming a dancer?"

Carlos made a face.  
"No, not really. Dancing, for me, is for fun. A stress reliever." He explained. "The moment I start doing it professionally it might become stressfull and I can't have that." He had a pretty good point.

"You know, I almost don't think about that... about the future, what I'm going to do with my life." He snorted at his own words. "Which is pretty unfortunate since we're graduating in a month."

"You and Jay are." Carlos pointed out. "I still have one more year to go."  
It was easy to forget that the boy was younger than them.

"We all know what Jay wants for the future." Gil said, making a vague gesture to the field. "That one will take tourney to his deathbed."  
Carlos laughed at that.

"You know, you could be a professional player too, if you wanted." He said. "You're certainly good enough for it."

Gil shook his head. An omega playing in a professional team? The public would eat him alive.  
But that wasn't even the main reason. He could probably find a way to deal with the haters.

Just like Carlos, he was a little afraid his passion would burn out if he did it as an obligation. And honestly, having been one of the stars of an high school team was enough for him. Any more exposure under the spotlight might be a little too much.

"Well... you still have time to figure it out." Carlos assured. "And you know we will always be here to help you." With that he took Gil's hand and intertwined with his, very gently.

Aweeklater  
 **BEN**  
Alright, so maybe deciding they have just one month to prepare the mating ceremony was a dumb idea.

You know what? It was _definitely_ a dumb idea. As soon as Ben started organizing the ceremony, he knew it was completely impossible to do everything in that time. He didn't want to post-pone it, but had no choice.  
He and Harry talked and decided they would get mated in two months instead of one, so that they could do everything in time.

Which didn't mean Ben wasn't freaking out about it.

"Do you think a thousand roses will be enough? I feel like it won't... but there are other flowers too, so maybe they will-" The omega talked in a rushed tone, until he was interrupted.

"Darling, you need to calm down." Harry advised. "I know this is your dream, but it won't help anything if you have a heart attack before it happens." It did make Ben chuckle a little.

"I'm sorry, it's just... we can't postpone this again." Ben said, worry in all of his features.

"We won't, alright? I promise." Harry said, gently caressing his face. "But that's not the most important thing. The most amazing thing there won't be a flower or a table full of food."

He took a deep breath.  
"You're right. This is about us, not anything else." Ben said. "But still... I want everything to be perfect."

"Everything that is really important will be perfect." The Alpha said and then snorted at himself. "Evil, being with you turned me into such a sap."

Ben laughed, giddy with the comment.  
"It's fine, I like this romantic side of you." He said. "Remember how you used to think you couldn't show me romance? You were _so_ wrong."

Harry snorted.  
"You know it's all on you, right? I would never be like this with anyone else." He said. "I used to think I couldn't be like this with you either. Thank Evil you set me straight."

The omega kissed his lips sweetly.  
"I can't believe we almost didn't stay together." He said. "I just... can't imagine my life without you now."

"That's why we're getting mated, isn't it? Because we both feel that way." Harry reminded him. "And that won't change if there are not enough flowers or if the ceremony starts late."

He suddenly felt a lot more relaxed about everything. His future mate was right, he didn't need to stress himself over the ceremony. It is going to be the happiest day of his life regardless of what happens.

Sure, maybe things won't go completely according to the plan, maybe there will be an specific dish missing on the feast or someone will sit at the wrong table, but what difference would that make in the long run?  
His special day with his mate will still be magic, he didn't need to overwork himself to make sure of that. 

"Thank you, darling." Ben answered, smiling at his fiancé. "I feel a lot calmer now.'

Harry smiled right back at him.   
"You're welcome, yer highness." He said. "If this starts to stress you out again, talk to me and I'll try to help, ok?"

 **JAY**  
Jay was laying in his bed, completely overwhelmed, but in a good way, waiting for Gil to finish his shower. 

That day had been the first that they had any kind of sexual contact since the kidnapping, which had happened over a month ago.   
They were still taking small steps, not even being fully naked, he and Gil had grinded against each other in their underwear until the omega came. He and Carlos had sixty-nined to finish off, after that.

He had been attentive to Gil all the time, not really sure if it was the right time to do this kind of thing again, but trusting his boyfriend to know his own limits.   
But it didn't mean he didn't worry.

"You think he's been in the shower too long?" Jay asked Carlos. "What if he regretted it? What if he's having a panic attack? O-or a flashback?"

Carlos looked at him with a soft expression.  
"Babe... we've talked about trusting him with his own needs, remember? Trusting he'll ask for what he needs?" He said, wisely. "Let's give him some time, alright? It's not even that long of a shower."

The Alpha took a deep breath. Carlos was probably right, like usual.  
He was just so afraid of messing everything up...

"Yeah, it makes sense." He admitted. "Don't you think this was a little too fast? It's only been a month, 'Los."

"I think I trust him with knowing his own mind, heart and body better than we do." The omega explained. "But we can talk to him about it, to make sure."

As if on cue, the bathroom door opened and a wet Gil wearing only shorts and a towel wrapped in his hair appeared.

He looked pretty happy, a beautiful smile on his lips. Actually, absolutely everything about that scene was beautiful.

"Hey, sorry for taking so long." He said. "So, who's next to shower?"

"Actually, I think we should talk before anything else." Carlos said. "Just to leave some things really clear."

Gil frowned at that.  
"Yeah, of course." He agreed. "Did something happened?"

Jay decided it was probably his turn to say something.  
"No, I just want to make sure you're okay. I mean... maybe this was too rushed? Maybe we shouldn't have done something like that. Are you feeling alright, no panic, no flashbacks?" Truth be told, Jay was the only one in panic there.

"Babe... calm down, alright?" Gil said, sitting on the bed slowly. "I wouldn't have done it if I didn't want it. I had fun, I enjoyed it, I wanted it, alright?"

The Alpha took a deep breath.  
"I don't wanna make it seem like I don't trust your judgement, but... I just get so worried." He confessed. "The thought that I might be doing something that isn't good for your recovery terrifies me."

"Look, I don't regret what we did today." Gil said, firmly. "But if it makes you feel bad, we can stop doing anything like that until you feel like enough time has passed."

Evil, _no_. This wasn't what he meant at all. He liked being intimate with Gil, he _loved_ it. There was no way in hell this could make him feel bad.

Besides, that made it sound like he wanted to be in charge of his boyfriend's recovery. Like he could ever decide when it was the right time to do this or that, when he wasn't the one who went through that horrible thing. 

He was quick to correct that.  
"No, no, no. It doesn't make me feel bad at all, I love being with you like that." He promised, intertwining his fingers with Gil's. "And I can't be the one to say when you're going to be ready for something. I just... wanted to make sure you don't regret anything and that you were really ready."

He smiled sweetly at his lover.  
"Babe, if I regretted it or if I felt bad about it, I swear I would have told you." The omega promised. "I appreciate you being worried, but... I guess what I'm trying to do here is reclaiming my own body, my own sexuality."

Jay had never thought about it that way, but it did make sense. After all, having someone forcefully using his body, it wasn't exactly surprising that the omega wanted to take control of said body back. Reclaiming his own right to enjoy intimacy and enjoy his own body seemed reasonable.

"That's nice, babe." Carlos piped in. "We just want you to be comfortable, no matter what."

"I am. I mean, I'm still taking baby steps here, I'm pretty sure there's still a long way until I'm ready to be knotted again." He said. "But until then I don't want to miss out on this type of intimacy."

"So... you're doing that because you want to, then? You know there's no pressure for anything, right?" The Alpha asked, hesitantly.

Gil pecked his lips again, quickly.  
"I love you, guys. And I love what we have, but... I'm doing this mostly for myself." He explained. "Not that you two aren't major in this, of course I only want that in the first place because it is _with you._ But the decision was made because of me."

Honestly, that's all Jay needed to hear. He felt a little silly and overprotective for being worried, but he knew everything was better when they communicated about it.

"I'm glad to hear that. We'll support no matter what routes you decide to take for your recovery." Carlos said, gently running his fingers through his boyfriend's wet hair. "And Jay... I'm proud of you for communicating. We're getting better at it."

That made them all giggle a bit. They still weren't the best ones at it, but they were learning and getting better everyday.

"Thanks, I just... needed to make sure, you know?" Jay explained. "I can't have you hurting again."  
Gil smiled so sincerely, but with a hint of something sad behind it, like an afterthought.

"I promised that if anything bothers me again I would talk to you, and I stand by that promise." He said. "And I appreciate that you're doing the same thing."

That conversation had been smoother than he thought it would be, and Jay felt at peace with everything he said and heard. The truth was that Gil was still exploring what to do during his recovery, and all they could do was support him through it.

** EVIE **   
Evie was happy for Ben and Harry, she really was. They were certainly a match made in heaven or some other shit an Auradonian might say. And they absolutely deserved their happy ending as soon as possible.

But, _evil,_ was she delighted when they decided to postpone the mating in a month, because she had _so_ _much work_ to do. Of course, being the best fashion designer in all of Auradon, all clothes of people directly involved in the ceremony would be created by her, which was already a lot.   
But then again, there were many guests who had already asked her to be their designer as well. And she was sure that many more would come.

She was certainly getting a pretty penny with all of this, seriously, people didn't mind spending tons of money for royal events, especially events organized by the King himself. But, the extra month made everything better: she wasn't so overworked anymore and she could pay more attention to every little detail now. These works would come out perfect, Evie was sure of it.

She was so concentrated in her work, she barely heard Mal entering the door of Evie's 4 hearts.   
"Hey, E." The Alpha greeted, startling her slightly. "What are you up to?"

"Harry's suit for the mating ceremony." Evie said, stitching as she spoke. "I have lots of work to do for this event."

Mal groaned at the mention.   
"I can't believe the clothes for this thing are so specific." She complained. "I'm going to have to wear red! Even worse: bright red. Can you believe this? Me, in bright red?"

That made Evie giggle. Mal could sure be dramatic when she wanted to be.

"Relax, M. It's just one day." She said. "It's an honor that Ben asked you to be his... Best Alpha, right? Really, wearing red is a small sacrifice to make."

The girl rolled her eyes, but ended up agreeing.  
"Yeah, it was sweet of him to ask me. Believe me, I am excited for this, I really am." She said. "I just wish I could be excited in purple."

"Don't worry, you're going to rock the bright red dress I'll make for you." Evie said, winking at her. Mal couldn't help but go ahead and kiss her.

"Hey, hey. Don't distract me, ok?" The beta insisted. "I'm in the middle of one of the most important pieces."  
Mal, of course, rolled her eyes again.

"It's getting really nice. I think it suits Harry." Mal said, looking at the clothes in front of her. "They're so lucky you agreed to make everyone's clothes."

Evie tried not to blush at the compliment.   
"There's something missing, I'm not sure what." She said, stopping her work to just look at at the suit. "But what I'm really worried about is Ben's tunic."

"I have no idea what that even is like." Mal said. "The world tunic makes me think of like, two hundreds years ago."

"Well, you're not completely wrong." Evie said, gathering some pictures Ben had given her to explain exactly how the tunic was. "Take a look at this."

Mal spent some seconds in silence, looking at the images of that long, light dress-like piece of clothing that accompanied some kind of white veil that made it practically impossible to see the person's face.

"Auradonians like some weird shit, huh?" Mal commented and Evie snorted. Yeah, she was right. "Like, damn, why the fuck would someone want to wear that?"

The beta shrugged.  
"I have no idea either." She said. "But this is going to be hard to make with all that fabric. Besides, there's some embroidery at the very end of the piece, and it's really specific. It will have to be all handmade."

This event would be doubtless the biggest challenge she ever faced in her career. But she accepted it gladly, not being one to walk away from a challenge.   
And, of course, it was always a pleasure to help her friends and do what she loved at the same time.

"Damn, E." Mal exclaimed, a frown on her face. "That seems like a nightmare."

"It will be hard, yes. But I wouldn't call it a nightmare." Evie said. "Well, it's an opportunity to do something different from what I'm used to."

"Getting out of your comfort zone, right?" The Alpha asked, now getting what the girl meant.

"Exactly." She answered. "Now, what did you want? Or did you just show up to watch me work?"  
Sometimes Mal did that, she said Evie looked even prettier when she was doing something she loved.

"I kinda expected to get you to take some time off, you know?" She explained, wiggling her eyebrows a little to make her intentions clear. "But I guess that won't happen right now, will it?"

Evie grimaced, it was a great offer but there was no way she could stop in the middle of one of the most important pieces she had ever made.

"Not right now. I'm really busy with this, I'm sorry." The beta said. "But we could go out tonight, if you want to?" She couldn't go at that moment, but it didn't mean she wasn't dying for some alone time with Mal.

Mal smiled.  
"Yeah, that would be cool." She agreed. "You know what? I could make dinner." Evie raised an eyebrow at that.

"Oh, really? You could do it? Without using magic?" She asked, in a teasing tone. "That's something I'd love to see." Determination was written all over the Alpha's face after that.

"It's on, princess. I'm going to prepare the best non-magical dish you have ever tasted in your life."She said. "I'm not sure how, but I will."

It made Evie giggle.  
"Promises, promises..."She whispered, as she concentrated on working with the fabric on her hands. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, please don't forget to leave a review. I try to always give you enough time to do that between updates. Hope you enjoyed it!


	24. What do you do when a chapter ends?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> School is almost over, Carlos visits his mother and everyone has decisions to make.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! Thank you for the support and sorry for taking so long. Please, don't forget to leave a review, if you can. Enjoy! ♡  
> WARNINGS: mentions of mental illness, child abuse, bad parenting and recover from rape/non-con.

_Three weeks later_   
**BEN**   
It was the last week of high school and Ben was drowning in nostalgia. His life had been turned upside down during the last four years, and he knew he would miss Auradon High.

In that place he has met many of his friends, people he knew he would care about for all of his life. He had met the VK's there, had helped them get settled, fallen in and out of love with Mal.

And, speaking of love, he might have met Harry on the Isle, but they only got close at school. If he hadn't convinced Harry to give the classes a try all those months ago they probably wouldn't be even close friends, much less engaged.

So, yeah, he got a lot to be grateful about and a lot of reasons to miss that place.   
He was so deep in his own thoughts, as he got something from his locker that he didn't even feel Harry approaching.

"Hey, yer highness. Guess what?" The Alpha said, a huge grin on his face. "I passed my math test. I won't need to watch summer classes!"

Ben immediately got excited, he knew Harry wasn't the biggest fan of going to school, which is one of the main reasons Ben was so proud of him for finishing it.  
"Oh my God, that's amazing, love." He said, smiling excitedly. "That's it, we're really graduating."

"You know this is because of you, right?" His fiancé reminded him. "I wouldn't have watched a single class if it wasn't for you."

Ben already knew that, but hearing it made him blush for some reason.  
"Well, I'm glad you did this for me." He said. "So... you have any idea what you'll do after it's over?"

Harry let out a breath.  
"Let's just take it one day at a time, yeah? I know for sure college is not for me, so I think I'd like to take a gap year before starting any kind of work." He explained.

"You know you don't need to, right? I mean, to work." Ben said. "Regardless of whether you're going to get involved with royal business, you'll still hold a position as a King. You're not really expected to do anything else."

The Alpha made a face at that.  
"Then I'm just supposed to... do nothing? Forever?" He asked. "Nah, that just won't do. But I don't need to figure anything out right now."

"You're right." Ben gave his lover a quick peck, before continuing. "We have time for that, you have all time you need."

They intertwined their fingers, both smiling. They were in a really good place, anxious knowing that in a little over a month their souls would be tied down forever.

Ben became a little less frantic about preparing the ceremony. Of course, it was still very important to him and he wanted everything to be perfect, but he wasn't stressing over it. Harry had talked some sense into him, and Ben also discussed this in therapy and everything pointed to the obvious: there was no need to keep overworking himself.

"Hey, love birds!" They got greeted by Evie running gracefully towards them. "I have some news about the clothing." She seemed just as excited as Ben felt hearing that.

"Really?" He asked. "I can't wait to see my tunic."

"That's exactly what this is about. Your tunic is ready." She said, and Ben could barely contain his excitement. "I still have to work on the veil though."

"Still, that's amazing news." He exclaimed, happily. "When can I see it?"

"You could go to my shop and try it on after class." The girl suggested. "I tried to follow the pictures you showed me rigorously. I didn't want to mess with your tradition."

"I'm pretty sure that me being the one he's getting mated to already messes with the tradition a little." Harry commented. Well, he wasn't exactly wrong.

"I appreciate you following the traditions, Evie. I'll go there as soon as the last bell rings." The omega said. "I'm dying to see it!"

He really was. The tunic was one of the most important and symbolic items of the mating ceremony, so he needed his to be beautiful. And he knew he could count on Evie to do that.

The girl worked wonders with all types of clothing and Ben was dying to see how elegant and fancy everyone involved in his ceremony would be, all thanks to her.

"Oh, by the way, princess, thank you for my suit. It's really good." Harry added. They got his clothes about a week before that. "It fits real nice."  
The girl beamed at getting compliments for her work.

Ben, of course, didn't see the final result since he didn't want him and Harry to see each other wearing these clothes until the moment of the ceremony. He didn't really believe it brought bad lucky, but he wasn't willing to test that theory either.

Anyway, he trusted that Evie had done an spetacular job on the suit just like she always did. That's why Ben had chosen her, she was the best in what she did and no one had a single doubt about that.

The bell rang right on that moment, cutting the conversation short.  
"I better get going." Evie said. "Don't wanna be late for my last few chemistry classes."

And there was that nostalgia again.  
"You're sad that school is ending?" Harry asked him.

"I guess? I'm not necessarily sad... I'm just..." He tried to explain, but failed completely. "I don't know. I'll miss this place."

Harry smiled at him sweetly.  
"I definitely won't miss it, but I get why you feel like that. It's where part of your story was written." He said. "I hated the Isle, but it was hard to leave some things and places behind. Just remember you're writing a new story from now on."

"That was so deep." The omega said, a little surprised. "And helpful too. Thank you."

It was all going to be fine. This was just a chapter ending in his life, just like many others had. It's all going to be fine, especially knowing what was ahead of him: he could focus more on being the best monarch his kingdom had ever seen and he was about to finally get mated.

Harry might not be the mate his parents had dreamed for him, but Ben knew he was the one he needed, the one he'd always love. It just felt so right to imagine the two of them marked as each other's for life.

He couldn't think of a better start for a new chapter.

 **CARLOS**  
He felt completely drained.

Carlos had visited his mother that day and it had been awful. I mean, it was always a difficult thing to do, but sometimes it was just plain harder.

Not because she was too out of it, on the contrary, actually. Cruella was lucid like her son had never seen her in his whole life. Apparently, they changed her medication a bit and finally found something that seemed to really work for her.

It wasn't that Carlos didn't feel glad for her. He never truly hated his mother, no matter how much she had made him miserable through all those years.

But there were two things pretty unsettling about seeing his mother so well. First, it felt like the world was rubbing on his face how things could have been, how everything would turn out if his mother had received help from the start instead of being thrown in that fucking island.

Cruella was obviously not a saint from the very start, but Carlos couldn't help but think his life would be a lot better if she was at least more stable. Alright, Cruella would never be the type to hold a baby and sing him lullabies, but at least she might not have thrown random house objects on him and locked him in her closet. Sure, she wouldn't be the kind of mother to hug and kiss him, but Carlos wouldn't have to wonder if eventually she would be out of it enough to try to skin him alive like she would sometimes threaten.

So, yeah, seeing her like a healthy, but still somewhat evil, woman put his entire life into perspective. His life would have been completely different with _this_ Cruella raising him. It could have spared him so much pain.

But at the same time, he liked living under the illusion that if his mother was stable she would maybe realize how bad she had been to him, apologize to him. And he might not ever say it out loud, but he thought she could even... learn to love him.   
Deep down, he knew it was all a fantasy, but it was a good one to live in.

She was lucid, she knew who he was, but she talked to him the same way she talked to the hospital staff. Carlos asked her what were her plans for after they let her out and she just shrugged. Cruella de Vil would never just _not have_ a plan for anything, especially not for when she was free again, so she obviously just didn't want to share it with him.

His mother obviously didn't want him in her life after this. Carlos had been a great pawn back on the Isle and a frequent visitor so she wasn't completely alone in the hospital, but that was all he was to her. And honestly, it should have been clear by now that she never gave a shit about him, but it still hurt.

Her being stable might have made her less violent, but no less indifferent towards her son and his well being. In fact, now that Carlos thought about it, if she had gotten help from the start he probably wouldn't have been born to begin with.

"Hey, 'Los. Are you alright?" Jay asked him, probably eyeing the way he had thrown himself on the bed earlier and hadn't moved since. "Did something happen at the hospital?"

Carlos sighed. It wasn't exactly an easy conversation to have, but he knew he needed to talk it out, otherwise he felt he would explode.

"Kind of." He admitted. "They changed my mom's medication a bit and she's doing great. I mean, I don't think I have ever seen her this lucid before."

Jay sat on the bed beside his boyfriend, a small frown on his face.  
"You're worried they'll free her soon?" He tried to guess.

"No. She's legally obliged to stay there for more five months." He explained. "I'm not worried about that."

"Then what is it, babe?" Jay asked, gently caressing the side of his face. "You know you can talk to me about everything."

Yeah, he knew that. It was just difficult to put his feelings into words.   
"Well, it's not easy being reminded that... you know, life could be a lot less painful for me if she had help all this time." He explained. "Also not easy to think that if she really had help, I might not even exist."

"Hey, don't say that." Jay pleaded. "It's always a dangerous path when we start to wonder how things would be if we were never born."

"That's not what I'm doing." The omega clarified. "But let's be realistic. I don't know who my father is, and she either doesn't know or she doesn't care. I don't think she was lucid when she decided to have me."

"'Los... without the Isle many of us wouldn't be here." His boyfriend reminded him. "Think about Mal for example. You think Maleficent and Hades would ever be together if they weren't trapped inside that place?"

He had a point. When they found out who Mal's father really was, they were shocked. Both Maleficent and Hades craved for power, Carlos couldn't imagine they working it out together.

Jay barely talked about his mother, since she died at childbirth and they had never really met. But he mentioned once that she and Jafar already knew each other before the Isle, so Jay would probably exist even without that place.

"This doesn't mean you can't be mad. At your mother, at Auradon, at the world even." Jay explained. "You know, there are many things to be mad about here."

Carlos bite his lips before continuing, trying to choose the best words to explain how he felt.  
"It's not only that, though." He said. "I kinda liked not being sure if she seemed to hate me because she was sick or because she really hated me."

"Oh..." Jay let out, expression softening immediately."So I take it the answer wasn't really good?"

Carlos' eyes were starting to get watery.   
"You could say that." He answered. "I think she likes the staff more than she likes me."

Jay opened and closed his mouth a few times and Carlos knew exactly what it meant. He wanted to say that his mother probably loved him in her own way or cared about him more than she let on, but he knew it would be all lies.

In fact, the Alpha knew that better than most people. The only thing Jafar had ever loved about him was how much he could earn in a day's worth of stealing. 

"I'm sorry, babe." He settled on saying that. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Carlos sat down on his boyfriend's lap, sitting face to face with him.  
"Hold me." His voice was barely a whisper.

Jay did exactly that, hugging the boy in a tight embrace. Carlos hides his face in the crook of his neck, trying to get the Alpha's scent to calm him down.

He didn't want to cry because of Cruella. Deep down, he always thought she would never give a shit about him, but the confirmation did still hurt. Especially now in Auradon, where he had so many examples of how loving parents were supposed to treat their kids. 

Suddenly, he felt ashamed for being such an idiot in the first place. His mother loved only fashion and fur, that was it and it was exactly the kind of information he was supposed to have learned already.

"Do you... do you think it's stupid of me?" He asked. "To still go there and see her? I mean, you never see your father and after what happened with Gil... Maybe I should have learned from that."

"Hey, it's not stupid to want to see your own mother." Jay insisted. "It's her fault for not appreciating you, not yours for wanting to help her."

Carlos sniffed, still fighting the insistent tears that wanted to fall.  
"But I should have known that, I thought I knew that." He said. "And the worst thing is that I'm probably going to convince myself to visit her again in a few weeks."

"Babe... you're the only one who decides that. If you don't want to see her anymore, then don't. Evil knows I'd be more relaxed if you never had to deal with that woman again." Jay said. "But if you still want to be by her side as long as she lets you... that's okay too. She was an important part of your life for fifteen years, after all."

Evil, Carlos just felt so pathetic with all of that. He had been through so much worse in his life, much of that caused by Cruella herself, and there was he whining about discovering something he already knew.

He was thankful for having Jay there to comfort him. He knew his boyfriend wouldn't judge him, even when he was at his lowest.

"You know what? You don't have to decide any of that right now." Jay reminded him. "Why don't we take a nap, hm? You seem tired. No matter what you decide, she's not worth you feeling this bad now."

He was right. He had six months to visit or not visit his mother, but at that moment he was feeling drained and what he needed was comfort and rest.

"You're right." He agreed. "Maybe I'll feel better about it after I sleep a little."

"You're always tired after visiting her, but today you look like you got ran over by a truck." Jay commented, and Carlos just had to roll his eyes at the crude words. "I mean it, babe. She's not worth you feeling so miserable."

He had a lot to think about and a lot of things to reconsider, but at that moment he was just too drained for that. All he wanted was a good nap, cuddling with his Alpha.

 **GIL**  
He arrived at the dorm and saw that both Jay and Carlos were sleeping, cuddling. They looked so soft together, it made Gil feel warm.

He tried to close the door and enter the room as quietly as possible not to disturb the other two. However, he ended up tripping over a piece of clothing on the floor, wincing as he did so. He ended up waking Jay up, but Carlos still slept peacefully.

"Babe?" He asked, sleepy and adorable. "I thought you were going to stay at the ship."

"Sorry for waking you up." He said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I went to the ship, but things were kinda loud there so I came here. I'm going back later, though."  
Jay gave him a sleepy little smile.

"You wanna take a nap with us?" He offered, but Gil shook his head.

"Thanks, but I need to study." He answered. "If I don't work harder than usual I don't think I'll be able to graduate this year." The Alpha frowned at that.

"Didn't Fairy Godmother told you there was nothing to worry about?" He asked.

Gil shrugged.  
"Yeah, but I need to make sure, you know? There are still some subjects I need to get right." He explained, but his lover just rolled his eyes.

"Why does it feel like I'm dating two nerds?" Jay asked, making Gil giggle a little. He definitely didn't have the grades of a nerd.

"C'mon." He said, approaching Jay and kissing his lips lightly. "Just go back to sleep and let me study a little, alright?"

For a while he did just that, but he couldn't help but hear Jay tossing and turning on the bed. Even though he was concentrated on his chemistry book, it was hard not to listen.

He had no idea how had Carlos not woken up yet, actually. In fact, it was quite strange that it was happening in the first place. Usually, Jay was the first one to fall asleep.

He tried once again to focus on his work, but he had got slightly worried now. Maybe something had happened and he just wasn't aware of it? So he closed his book for a little while and turned his chair towards the bed.

"Babe." He called. "Did something happen? I know you're still awake."

Jay sighed, sitting up on the bed.    
"I'm worried about Carlos." He almost whispered, giving the sleeping boy a soft look. "He visited Cruella again today."

Carlos usually didn't have problems when visiting Cruella, since she was locked in a psychiatric hospital. But Gil had learnt the hard way that maybe their parents should just be left behind.

Just thinking about Gaston lately sent a chill down his spine and he never wants anyone going through what he did. Not only the terrible experience itself, but also being betrayed by a parent after giving them a second chance.

"Did she do something?" He asked, just as worried as Jay seemed to be. "Was she like... having an episode or something?"

"No, the opposite, actually." The Alpha denied it. "She had never been more lucid. Carlos can explain it better later, if he wants to, but... he's really shaken."

After what his father had done to him, he was grateful that Jay decided not to talk to Jafar ever again and also worried that Carlos still saw Cruella. It seemed that their parents were truly incorrigible.

Carlos didn't talk too much about his mother, but he did tell Gil she was violent and basically treated him like a house slave when she wasn't hurting him. To people from Auradon, it would seem crazy that he still wanted to visit her after that, but Gil understood that better than anyone.

"Oh, no. I wish this was the type of thing that naps could cure." He said. "Well, I hope it at least make him feel better."

"I... I think he should stop seeing her altogether." Jay addmited. "But I don't want to sound like _that_ type of Alpha, you know?"

Yeah, Gil knew what he was talking about, the controlling one, who thought they had total authority over what their omega did. Back on the Isle, there were _very few_ mated couples, but the ones who did exist worked somewhat like that.

But both Gil and Carlos knew Jay would never be like that.  
"C'mon, babe. You're not that type and you'll never be." He told him. "Just sit with him and talk about your point of view, explain what you mean. But if he still wants to see her, it's his decision."

Jay seemed to stop to think, frowning and staying in silence for a little while.   
"You're right, you know? I'll talk to him tomorrow." He said. "How did you get so good at giving advice?"

Gil smiled at that.  
"I think therapy is helping at that." He answered. "Amelia is working a lot on my communication skills." Really, his therapist was being helpful with that.

When he first started the appointments he thought they were only going to talk about him being hurt by the old crew. But that didn't happen, there were plenty of other things to talk about.   
Then, when he was hurt again, he thought that his father and Black Murphy would be the only subjects, but again, it wasn't like that. Sure, it was kind of the focus of the whole thing, but she helped him with almost every aspect of his life too. 

"Yeah, there's probably it." Jay agreed. "I think now you're having more sessions, you seem better than, you know, last time."

Gil nodded. Understanding that recovery wasn't a linear process was a turning point for him. Some days he felt like what happened barely bothered him anymore and other days he'd have panic attacks and think that everything was his fault.

He found out that all of it was okay. Whenever he felt alright it didn't mean that what happened to him hadn't been terrible or his suffering wasn't valid and whenever he felt like shit it didn't mean he made no progress or that he would never get better.   
He had bad days, he had good days, he had some days in between and it was all okay. Accepting that was hard, but once he did it, things got easier.

"You know, I think maybe you and Carlos should try it too." He said. It could seriously help them to deal with different things."I mean, therapy. Everyone from the Isle should."

Another thing he learned there was that everyone would get benefits from therapy. And Evil knows both of his boyfriends had a lot to recover from. Everyone had their own stuff to deal with, after all.

Jay seemed like he wasn't expecting that at all. He probably had never considered that option.  
"I never thought about it like that." Was all that he offered.

"It's fine. You don't have to do it or anything." Gil said. "But maybe... just think about it, alright?"

**HARRY**   
Harry, Gil and Uma were all the in the ship eating some snacks and talking about nothing and everything. All three seemed to be in a good place lately, or at least getting there.

"Can you believe in a week we'll be done with high school?" Uma said, taking a sip from her drink. "That's crazy."

"That's the least crazy thing in my life right now." Harry reminded her. "I'm marrying the king in a little over a month, Uma."

"Well, I'm not exactly finishing this week. I'll have to attend some summer classes." Gil said. "But Fairy Godmother said I'm not under like a real risk of failing."

Uma looked at him with such a softness and pride as she talked.  
"Hey, considering all you went trough is incredible you're even finishing this year." She said. "I mean it, Gil. You have to be really strong to do that."

"We're proud of you, man." Harry added, smiling at their friend.

Gil blushed a little, not being exactly great with praise.  
"Thanks, guys. I wouldn't have managed it without you." He said, cheeks red. "You know, it's so weird. It feels like it happened yesterday, but also ages ago."

Harry's breath hitched a little at that. Gil rarely gave them information like that about how he felt towards what happened. It was way over a month ago, but it was still fresh.

Well, but it was clear he dealt with what happened this time different than he did when it happened when they were trapped on the Isle.

"You... wanna talk about it?" Harry offered, a little awkwardly.

Gil shrugged.  
"I don't know. It's just... things feel different this time. Everything still sucks, though." He admitted. "It's worse 'cause I thought I had been safe here, but it's better 'cause I'm getting help."

Honestly, it was hard to look for a silver lining in that clusterfuck. Just from thinking about it, Harry hopes that Gaston burns in hell, and take Murphy with him too.

"But let's not get super dark, right?" Gil tried to change the course of the talk. "I mean, we were talking about high school like two minutes ago. Let's go back to it."

"I have to admit I might have started to like school here." Uma said. "But only a little bit." Yeah, Harry couldn't really relate to that.

"What do you guys plan on doing after that?" Gil asked, a dreamy look on his face. "Auradon is all about what to we wanna be when we grow up and all that."

"Oh, no. Not you too." He complained with a groan. "Ben asked me about that too and I still don't know what to say."

Isle kids rarely had the opportunity to think about that. You grow up and you either steal or manipulate to survive, just like you did before. Not a lot of changes. Harry thought all his life would consist of living in that ship and stealing from others.

"I just wanna stay close to the sea." Uma said. "I'm not sure what I'll do, but the land isn't really my scene."  
That was understandable, Uma spent her whole life close to water, just like Harry.

"You think it would be crazy to think about something sport related? I mean, being omega and all that?" Gil asked, a little shy. "I've been thinking about it. Kind of."

Harry frowned.  
"Nothing crazy about that, dude." He clarified. "You're thinking about becoming a professional tourney player? I bet you'd be a good one."

Gil shrugged.  
"No, not really." He answered."But I sometimes think that I should do something sport related. I'm not sure what."

"The truth is, coming from the Isle we weren't even sure if we would be alive at this age." Uma pointed out. "No wonder we barely thought about life after school."

Gil nodded vehemently.  
"Yeah, that's true. I mean, when my dad kicked me out I seriously thought I might not make it." Mentioning Gaston always made everyone's face darken.

"Ben said I could just... be a royal and not do anything else if I wanted to." Harry told them. "But can you imagine that? Me, locked up in a castle all day? All alone 'cause Ben probably has lots of King stuff to do?" Both of his friends laughed out loud at that.  
It was absurd to imagine that.

"What about college?" Gil asked. "Ben mentioned there are many free options for that here, but I don't think I could imagine myself doing that."

Harry couldn't see himself in university either. He never liked school, he saw no reason why he would like college.

There were no colleges on the Isle, the idea more absurd than anything else. Kids from Auradon grew up with these dreams and expectations for all of their lives, but it was hard to just get a life plan out of nowhere for kids who grew up trapped in that awful place.

"I don't think there are that many of us that will choose that, at least not our age." Uma said. "I mean, I hope VKs who want that can get it. But I think many of us will be a little freaked out by that right now. But maybe later?"

Harry just shook his head.  
"I'm never getting even close to an university, write that down." He decided. "I'm more of a hands on kind of guy, not sitting there and listening to others talk."

They just stood there in this kind of comfortable silence for a while, all of them deep in thought. There was so much to think about, so many decisions to make. Harry's life was literally about to change forever; he was about to mate the king, for evil's sake.

Gil also had his recovery to work on, and Uma's whole life until that point had been taking care of the crew and ship. So, Harry wasn't the only one with much ahead of him, much to think about. They all had plans to make, or most realistically, they all had to learn how to make plans at all.

After some minutes in that complete silence, Gil let out a little laugh, getting his crewmates' attention.

"You know, we really have no idea what we're doing with our lives, do we?" He said. "We might have let the revenge part behind, but I guess we're still the lost crew right now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! Please, don't forget to comment, it means a lot to the author. Stay safe! ♡


	25. A room is not a house and a house is not a home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> School is over, Ben and Harry talk about the mating ceremony, Gil has a bad day and the future may be a little uncertain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you guys staying safe? I hope so.   
> Please, if you can, leave a comment or a review. Comments are dropping a lot the last few chapters and this discourages any author. Enjoy! ♡  
> WARNINGS: recovery, mentions of child abuse and bad parenting in general, nightmares, mentions of rape/non-con.

O n e w e e k l a t e r

  
**Harry**  
He was officially a free man now; school was over forever. It was night time and he was over at the castle with Ben, relaxing while his boyfriend showed some pictures of his previous school years.  
Ben was clearly feeling very nostalgic.

"This one was my freshman year of high school." He said, pointing at a Ben slightly more baby-faced with a tourney jersey on. "I still played tourney back then. I wasn't the best, but I wasn't the worst either. It was fun."  
Ben talked about it like it had been a lifetime ago and it kind of felt like that to Harry too. It just seemed like he had been with his fiancé for all of his life instead of some months.

He took another picture from the box. It showed small versions of him and Audrey.  
"This was the last year of our betrothment." He explained. "The year I presented."

They seemed to be about twelve in that picture, both sitting in smaller versions of a throne and smiling politely. He got why Audrey freaked the fuck out like she did, that little girl looked like she was thrilled to be there, when Ben just looked normal. Like he was following his duty.

Harry had never truly understood the harshness of royalty until he looked at the picture: the boy who tried to stick to the plan someone else made for him and the girl that would soon get her heart crushed by destiny.

"Well, I'm glad it happened." The Alpha said. "Otherwise you wouldn't be here with me today. Only a month from getting mated." Ben lighted up with the mention of the mating, but then he let out a flat laugh.

"God, look at me, a month from the mating and I'm here showing you these old embarrassing pictures." He blushed a little. "I don't even need my family to embarrass me in front of you."

"Hey, c'mon. We're way past that now." Harry said. "I'm getting mated to all of you. Including the nostalgic bits."   
Ben approached him, sitting on his lap with a smile before diving in for a kiss. With him, every kiss felt like a new experience, a new kind of fire he didn't know yet.

Honestly, sometimes Harry was still surprised he could have that. Before Ben, the idea of kissing only the same person for more than a week seemed so dull and boring. Now, it's all he wanted to do.

"I love you so much." Ben said, as soon as they parted. His eyes were shinning. "You have no idea how happy I was when you told me you felt the same."

That made Harry feel warm. He took so long to admit how he felt, to finally be able to say it, but now he did it just seemed so easy. He felt a little dumb for not saying it right away.

"Loving you is pretty easy, yer highness." He said, pecking Ben's lips lightly again.

"I didn't think we'd have so many things ready for the ceremony at this point." The omega confessed. "I'm not even worried about most of it. All invitations have been sent, both our clothes are ready, almost everyone's roles in the ceremony is already set. Things are really falling into place, you know?"

One specific information in all of that caught his attention.  
"Almost all?" He inquired. "Who is missing?"

Ben tensed up a little at that.  
"Well... you still haven't chose who is coming with you to the altar." He reminded his fiancé. "Usually, the Alpha walks down the Isle with his omega parent, or beta parent, but..."

He trailed off, but of course Harry knew what he meant. The Alpha was quiet for a few moments, thinking about what he would do.

His mother left when he was a kid, he didn't even know whether she was alive or not. He understood her decision, but he didn't have any desire to go after her. She made a new life for herself and Harry made a new life for himself too.

He had never really had a strong parental figure, especially not someone who was beta or omega.

"But this isn't a problem, of course." Ben was quick to add. "You can choose anyone you want, it doesn't need to be a parent."

Yeah, only Harry had no figure like that in his life. He had no uncles and aunts, no grandparents.   
The people who loved him and were part of his life when he was growing up were Uma and Gil, but they already had definite roles on the whole event.

"It's... supposed to be someone who raised you, right?" He asked and Ben nodded.

"Yeah, raised you or helped to raise you. A kind of parental figure, you know?" The boy explained.

"Then I want to go alone." He decided. As he saw Ben's confusion he went on. "I raised myself, darling."

It was the most logical choice. His father was a violent man who cared more about the ship and the other pirates than his own son and his mother had left. Harry had to find a crew of his own, he had to make his own path.

It wasn't easy, and he definitely wouldn't have make it without Uma, but it was the truth. He never really had parents.  
Even the pirates who did seem to give a shit about him were all monsters underneath in the end.

"Would that be a problem?" He asked, not wanting to hurt the tradition Ben loved so much. "Would you prefer that I chose someone?"

The omega's expression softened on the spot.  
"No, of course not. It's your ceremony too, if you don't want anyone with you I get that." He assured. "You know, you did a pretty good job of raising yourself."   
That made Harry smile. He pecked his cheek sweetly, making the omega giggle a little.

"So... what else is missing for the ceremony?" The Alpha asked. "Shouldn't you be running around with worry at this point?"  
Ben let out a laugh at the teasing.

"Well, yeah. But you did manage to calm me down a little." He answered. "I have some calls to make later, though. Oh, and we have to decide on the flower types too."

Yeah, this mdefinitely wasn't Harry's forte. It wasn't like flowers even managed to grow on the Isle most of the time.   
"You have any ideas?" He asked. "I certainly don't. You know, you should decide all these decoration stuff."

"I mean, we already have roses, of courses, there's usually at least three different types." Ben explained. "Oh, we could probably chose them based on their meaning. Some couples do that, I think it's cute."Harry raised his eyebrows at that.

"Darling, I have no idea how to do that." He said. "But we could try, I guess." Ben practically beamed at him.

"We don't have to do it, right now, you know? We could look it up later." The omega offered. "I think we still have like... a week maybe, to choose these so I can order it."

"Then, it's a plan." Harry agreed, and immediately kissed the boy's lips sweetly. If they still had time to think about the decorations later then they had time to have fun right now.

** GIL **   
It was a bad day, definitely. Things went downhill the moment he woke up from a nightmare. At least he wasn't screaming, but it was still scary. The worst thing is that he couldn't stop thinking about it.

It had really been a nightmare and not a memory this time. In the bad dream, an older version of himself was being hurt by Black Murphy. Apparently, no one had come looking for him so he spent years and years with that man. Just thinking about it made real life Gil feel sick.

But the image his imagination created was really stuck into his mind and he hated it. He knew that bad days may happen at any moment, but it didn't mean he didn't hate them.

Besides, add that to spend the whole day seeing everyone so damn happy about finishing school and knowing he still had some classes left did a number on his self-esteem. Yeah, logically he knew he had spent a month away from school so it was _normal,_ but on a bad day it made him feel like a failure.

It obviously could be seen on his face how bad he was feeling, since the moment he walked in the dorm, Jay immediately looked at him and asked:  
"Alright, what's wrong? You've been quiet all day, babe."

Gil sighed. He didn't have a bad day in over a week, so he felt extra bad now he had one again.  
"I woke up from a nightmare this morning. It sucked." He said.

Both Jay and Carlos looked at him with a soft expression on their faces. It wasn't pity, more like softness.  
"I'm sorry for that, babe." The Alpha offered. "You wanna talk about it?"

Gil shook his head. He wasn't really in the mood to have a heavy talk, he just wanted to spend some time with his boyfriends. He cold talk about it in therapy the following day, but at that moment he didn't feel like it.

"What do you need from us, then?" Carlos asked. "We're here for you, whatever it takes."

Just hearing that did made his heart feel warm. He loved his boyfriends so fucking much and he considered himself very lucky for having people who can help him go through the dark times.

"I don't think I need anything specific. We could just... watch a movie?" He offered. "And cuddle too."

Both boys nodded, Jay already getting up to get the TV control and put on something to take Gil's mind off of the matter. They ended up settling on a comedy.

They watched it laying on the bed, Gil in the middle of them. He always felt safer when they were like that, like nothing bad could touch him.

Of course, it didn't magically cured him of the way he was feeling. He was still more silent than usual, he was still feeling bad. But it did make him forget about those things for a few more minutes, and honestly, it was all he could ask for.

The people who loved him couldn't cure him and couldn't make what happened go away. Gil is sure that if they could, they would just like he'd do anything to help them get rid of their own demons. But that's not how life worked.  
However, they could and they would always support him and make his healing easier. His therapist always talked about how having a support system was important and she was right.

Bad days always sucked, period. That's what made them bad, after all. But knowing he'd always have all the help he needed made a huge difference on how he dealt with them.

Thenextday  
 **CARLOS**  
He had been laying awake in bed for some time now, both Gil and Jay sleeping heavily. He hadn't been feeling sleepy for over half an hour, but didn't want to wake them up.  
He had a lot of things to think about, so his mind was running wild.

Which meant it was a relief when he felt someone stir beside him.  
"Hey, babe." Jay greeted in the cutest sleepy voice ever, eyes still closed.

"I won't be seeing her anymore." Carlos announced, before he could even think about saying anything else. That had been the main subject of his thinking since the moment he opened his eyes.

Jay opened his eyes too, a confused frown appearing on his face. He was clearly not fully awake yet.   
"What?" He asked. "Are we talking about Cruella?"

Carlos nodded.  
"Yeah... I've been thinking about what you told me. It's almost all I've been thinking about, honestly." He answered. "And you're right. I shouldn't see her anymore. Sorry for starting your day like this, though."

They had a talk some time the previous week in which Jay made his worries very clear. He insisted he didn't want to decide anything for Carlos, but only to expose his opinion and his worries to him.

But the thing is, he's right. There's no reason for Carlos not to let go of the past and that woman was his past. He had his life ahead of him and if Cruella didn't have a place for him in her life he shouldn't save a place for her in his. He had to learn that family didn't necessarily start with blood.

"You're sure about that?" Jay asked, sitting up on the bad. "You know, what I said were just suggestions, right? No one will be mad if you keep seeing her, it's your right."

"I know that, babe." He assured. "It's just... She clearly doesn't care about me. And after what happened with Gil I think we should be even more suspicious of our parents. They're all capable of anything."

Cruella was also obsessed with herself and Carlos knew damn well she was capable of doing something against him if it would benefit her some way. Gaston was just an example of bad parenting, but the Isle used to be full of them.    
Cruella wasn't worth taking the risk.

"If you truly want that..." Jay trailed off, waiting for a confirmation. Carlos smiled a little and held his hand tightly. He should have done this the moment they left the island, but it was still time to do something about it. He was confident in his decision.

"I do." He said. "I can't have her in my life anymore."

The Alpha let out a breath, as if he had been holding it in for ages. He probably had.  
"Thank Evil, babe." He exclaimed, relief pouring out of him. "I was literally dying of worry."

That made Carlos show a half-smile. It was sweet to see his boyfriend so worried about his well-being.  
"I know you never really liked me going there at all." He said. "And you were right all along."

"Hey, c'mon. You still needed to some time to let her go and that's fine." Jay said. "There's no recipe for that."

"Damn right there isn't." He agreed, knowing how hard it was. "I had to think a lot to get to this conclusion."

"That's fine. It wasn't easy to cut ties with Jafar either, but here I am." The Alpha told him. "And well... you can always change your mind later."

Jay was hesitant when he said that, clearly terrified that Carlos would change his mind. He couldn't exactly be blamed for that, could he?

"I don't plan on doing that." He assured. "Unless she reaches out to me first, but I doubt that could happen."

The turning point for him was realizing that woman didn't care about her own son at all, so she wouldn't search for him, Carlos was sure of that. And after thinking about it for the last week he almost didn't feel bad when he thought about it. Almost.

"Then it's settled: no more crazy, evil parents for any of us." Jay said. "We don't need them." Damn right, they didn't. Yeah, these people might had given they life, but they were also the ones who made life miserable for years. They were all better off without that.

Carlos was pecking Jay's lips lightly when they both heard a small whine besides them. Obviously, Gil was starting to wake up.  
They both turned to look at the boy, who was still somewhere between sleeping and awake. But mostly sleeping...

"Good morning, babe." Jay greeted. "Sleep well?" Gil just let out another small groan in response. Yeah, not awake enough to talk to them yet.

"You feel better?" Carlos asked, running his fingers through the boy's hair. He only nodded, slowly.

Jay chuckled.  
"If you want to sleep in today, we won't disturb you." He said, looking fondly at the sleepy boy. "But... I was thinking maybe we could do something nice together."

After a small moment of silence, Gil let out:  
"Go on." with a small voice and his eyes still closed.

"Well, you were feeling kinda down yesterday so I thought we could go out to cheer you up." He offered. "Maybe a picnic? I know how much you love those. We could even try to bake something together, huh?"

"Hmm, that'd be nice." He said, drowsy. He was clearly still sleepy, but managed to open his eyes. "Hi."

"Hi, babe." Jay said. "Is that a yes for our picnic?" Gil nodded, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"I guess I'll make us some sandwiches, then." Carlos said, already getting up from the bed. "But when we come back I want cuddles, you hear me?"

Jay laughed a little.  
"Of course, babe." He agreed. "We have to do lots of that now I only have three more months in the dorm."

That made both Carlos and Gil frown.  
"What?" They asked in unison. Jay frowned right back at them.

"Guys... I just graduated. I have now three months left at the dorms before they kick me out." He explained. "It's a school rule, I thought you guys knew that."

"I think I knew the rule I just... "Carlos tried to explain. "I don't know, it didn't click until you said it."

Gil sat up, already looking a lot less sleepy and a lot more worried.  
"I had no idea about that." He complained. "Where you're going to live now?"

Jay just shrugged.  
"I don't know." He said. "Most Auradon kids just go back to their parent's houses, but obviously that's not happening."

God... that sucked. The fact that he and Jay lived together was one of the best parts of coming to Auradon. Of course, there were many amazing things, but that did add to how awesome the whole thing had been.

And now they had Gil too. Technically, the boy did live in Uma's ship, but he was at the dorm more often than not. Would all three of them have to live in separate places now?

"Evil, it sucks so much that I'm not graduating with you." Carlos complained, mentally cursing the universe for making him younger.

"You know what? You could probably move in with me. You know, to the ship." Gil suggested. "I still have to ask Uma, of course, but I don't think she'll say no."

The Alpha snorted, not convinced.  
"Yeah, like she'd want me to live there." He said.

"I mean it, guys." Gil said. "The three of us could live together."

"All three?" Carlos asked, not realizing the invitation was for him too.

"Yeah, of course." Gil answered, clearly already picturing the whole thing. "You don't necessarily have to live in the dorm, do you?"

"I mean, no." Carlos said. "But will we even fit in your room? Are you sure you want us to?"

"We'll find a way, somehow." Gil said. "And really, I think Uma is going to say yes. That ship has been pretty quiet since we came to Auradon, and I know Uma misses me when I spent too many nights here. And Harry gets mated in less than a month now... there's plenty of space."

Alright, that did made sense. And yeah, He and Jay had somewhat bonded a little with Uma and Harry over Gil in the past months, but... was it enough for the girl to accept them living under her roof?

"Look... I still have three months. How about we let the time pass?" Jay suggested. "You could give it some time. Maybe wait and just ask Uma next month or so, she'll still have time to think about the pros and cons... when my three months are over and I have to leave, if your captain agrees, we start living on the ship."

That seemed more like a plan. Carlos had never thought about living in a ship, but he'd do it if it meant getting closer to his boyfriends.

"That sounds good." Gil agreed. "We don't need to, like, rush anything."

Carlos nodded.  
"Yeah, that's a good plan." He added. "I mean, the more time we give Uma to digest the idea the more likely she is to accept it. But at the same time... we shouldn't just ask her out of the blue." He wasn't exactly sure how he felt about living under another Alpha's roof yet, but he could eventually get used to it.

It was weird, because it seemed like they were making plans for the future. And they were, only the future was three months away from happening. Things like what to do after school seemed so distant, like it would take forever to happen, but it's right there.  
Jay finished school, Gil will be doing the same in a few weeks and Carlos in less than a year. Isn't life crazy?

Jay interrupted his thoughts with a laugh.  
"Evil, I can't help but think about how Uma's face will be when you ask her." He said, clearly not having ever thought about the possibility before that moment. "Are you sure this won't get you in trouble?"

Gil nodded, confidently. He seemed a million times happier, and overall better, than he had been the day before. Thank evil for that, neither Carlos nor Jay liked seeing their boyfriend sad.   
"She won't get mad at me for asking." He promised, sounding genuine. "The worst thing that could happen is she saying no."

That did make things seem a lot less scary. Yeah, they couldn't be sure that this would work out, but in this life, who could be sure about anything at all, right?   
Evil, his thoughts had been kinda deep lately, but how could they not be? Life was changing for them.

"Well, there's still the small chance that none of this will happen." Jay said. "You remember I'm kinda expecting to hear back from that tourney scout? I mean, it's a long shot, I don't really think I'll make it... but it's still an option on the table, you know?"

Oh yeah, Carlos had almost forgot about that. Before tourney season ended there was a scout who came in one of the games to look at the guys playing and, well, Jay had been excited, to say the last.

It was this big shot in the dark, but if anyone from the Auradon Prep's tourney team could make it, it was Jay, definitely. The Alpha didn't really have his hopes high, but Carlos really believed him and his potential as a player. And he knew Gil felt the same, they were as supportive as they could be.

"Oh, It almost slipped my mind. You'll know the answer in a few weeks right?" Gil asked and he nodded. "That'll be so cool. I'm sure you'll make it, babe. I think it's best if I don't ask Uma anything until we hear back from this guy."

Jay made a face that clearly meant he wasn't really believing he would get chosen at all. Carlos got it, really, it was hard to accept the possibility of a good thing coming their way before it was really there.   
"Ok, but let's just stick to the ship plan, alright?" The Alpha insisted. "We shouldn't get ahead of ourselves."

"Alright, but when they contact you, we'll have to say we told you so." Carlos said. "And honestly, even if is not this time, you are brilliant when playing. You'll get there somehow."

Jay smiled so sincerely and wildly at the encouragement, it truly warmed Carlos' heart.  
"Thanks, babe." He said. "But we'll cross that bridge once we get there."

Yeah, they had a lot of bridges to cross eventually, but they also had time to get to them. They were kind of living in a limbo, not knowing how their living situation was going to be or what was going to be of their professional life. Their life was pretty uncertain at the moment.

But there was this one thing that all three of that could always count on: each other. Yeah, it seemed like a cliché romantic thing to think, and honestly it was, but Carlos wasn't afraid of the future, all this uncertainty didn't make him feel as uneasy as one would think. The place he lived wasn't his home, his home was the people he loved.

And that wasn't changing anytime soon... 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed it. Unfortunately, we have only a few chapters left but I'm so happy and grateful we're here. Until next time!  
>  And, please, leave kudos and comments, if you can.


	26. I see the best in times in front of me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry and Ben are counting the days to the ceremony, while Jay, Carlos and Gil have good news (and sexy times.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thank you so much for your comments! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS HAS OVER 150K WORDS! We're so, so close to the end and I couldn't have done it without your support. Enjoy!  
> WARNINGS: mentions of past rape and attempted rape, explicit smut (all consensual).

**HARRY**   
He knocked softly on Ben's office door, but heard no response. He tried again, but then decided to go in anyway.

"Darling?" He asked, seeing a very concentrated Ben startle as he heard it. "Didn't mean to scare you."

The boy shook his head.  
"It's fine, really." He answered. "I was just working on a few things."

"Kingdom-related or mating ceremony-related?" Harry asked.  
Time is flying quickly and they now only have two weeks until the mating ceremony, so they had to be quick about a lot of things.

"Kind of both, I guess." Ben said, sighing a little. "I have a meeting later, so I have to leave some things ready for that, but I'm also revising the checklist for the ceremony."

Unfortunately, his fiancé seemed to be really busy.  
"I can come back later." He offered. "I don't want to disturb you from your work."

But Ben shook his head and closed his laptop.  
"You know I always have time for you." He insisted. "But I thought you were at the ship?"

"Yeah, I was. But things got pretty boring there." He said. "Gil is at the dorms and Uma is watching the world's most boring reality show ever. Plus, I really missed your pretty face."

Even after all that time he could still make Ben blush so damn easily. It was so endearing.

"I'm almost finished, anyway." The omega told him. "Just take a sit, it won't take long." Harry did as he was asked and sat down on one of those big fancy chairs.

"You know, I still think school sucked, but I have to admit it's easy to get bored now I have nowhere to be like, ever." Harry admitted. "Especially when you're busy."

Ben smiled at him.   
"Is it bad that I enjoy the fact you miss me so much?" He asked and Harry just had to let out a little laugh at that.

The things he wanted to do to Ben... they were what bad truly meant.  
"You're fucking adorable you know that?" He asked. "C'mon take a break and come here a little."

Ben rolled his eyes fondly, but ended up getting up from his chair and sitting on Harry's lap. Thank Evil the chair was big and comfortable.  
"Is this close enough so you won't miss me?" He asked, playfully.

Harry smiled at the boy on his lap, putting his hands on Ben's hips.  
"Hm... I'm not sure." The Alpha said. "Maybe you'll need to come even closer." And kissed the boy's lips firmly.

It took only a few seconds for Ben to open his mouth, letting his lover's tongue slide into it. His boy was so fucking delicious.

He grabbed Ben's hips harder than before, pulling him as close as physically possible while he kissed him. That was a feeling he knew he'd never get tired of and he couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life doing that.

It didn't take long for that to turn into a full-blown make out session, and Harry felt like there was something about the fact they were in his fiancé's work office that make things hotter somehow.

He let his hands wander a little lower, still not touching his lover's ass, though. Since that whole kidnapping clusterfuck he never did that kind of touching without asking out loud first.

However, it took only a few moments for them to need to breathe.  
"I think we need to go slow right now." Ben warned. "There's just two weeks left of waiting. After that... I'll be all yours."

That went straight to Harry's dick.  
"Fuck, yer highness." He breathed out. "You can't say things like that while sitting on my lap."

Ben giggled, but got up and went back to his desk. Harry had to rearrange his pants a little after all that.  
"But seriously, can you believe we only have two more weeks until then?" Ben asked. "It's totally crazy... but I couldn't be happier."

The Alpha smiled.  
"Yeah, it seemed like I asked for your hand just yesterday." He agreed.

"You know, I'm really grateful that you agreed to wait all this time for me, you know?" Ben said, a little coy. "I know it isn't easy, so... yeah. Thank you for understanding that and not leaving when you had the chance."

"Hey... you're absolutely fucking worth it, you hear me?" Harry said. "And about that, I know the ceremony is pretty close, but it doesn't mean you're obliged to do anything you're not ready to do. It's been like three months since... you know, that incident, so I'd understand if you don't want to do sexual stuff right away."

Ben frowned a little at that.  
"Harry, no. For the love of God, no. Gaston tried to do a very bad thing to me, but you saved me before it could happen and I don't want him messing up my life any more than he already has." He said. "I'm ready to mate you, to be your omega, I'm ready to give myself over to you in all possible ways. And I've never been more ready to do anything else in my whole life."

The Alpha couldn't help but smile at that. He could see from the way Ben talked and how sincere his eyes were that the boy really trusted Harry with everything he had.

"That was deep, yer highness." He said, trying to make things a bit lighter. "Then I guess it's just a matter of waiting now."

He felt a thrill just from thinking about it. As much as he loved and cherished Ben on the inside, he had to admit his fiancé was handsome and really fucking hot too. Of course, he couldn't wait to be mated with him for who he was, but he couldn't deny the sex part had been on his mind too.

Of course, he wasn't the same person he was before meeting Ben; sex used to be almost everything to him, some people might say it was his main copying mechanism back on the Isle. He was different now, but it didn't mean the idea of finally getting to touch his lover like that didn't make him all hot and bothered.

"Darling, you're killing me here." He said playfully, making Ben snort.

"Alright, alright. Now let me go back to finishing my work. It'll only take some minutes." He insisted. "Then we could go out and eat something."

"That sounds heavenly, yer highness." Harry agreed.   
The Alpha couldn't wait for these last two weeks to finally be over.

 **GIL**  
"Oh, fuck. Holy fucking shit, I can't believe this!" Gil was brutally woken up from his nap by Jay practically yelling those words across the room. "Holy crap, is it really true?"

Gil sat up on the bed startled at all the yelling coming from his boyfriend.  
"What the fuck, Jay?" He complained.  
But then he got to really see what was happening: Jay had a piece of paper in his hands and it seemed like a letter.

"Oh, Evil. Is that from the tourney thing?" Carlos asked, excitedly.

Jay nodded enthusiastically.  
"I'm in, guys." He almost yelled again. "I made it. I'm going to play in a real team!"

That made Gil get up immediately and throw himself to the Alpha, hugging him tightly. Carlos did the same thing right after, just as happy as he was.

"Congratulations, babe." Gil said, not letting go for anything in this world. "You deserve this more than anyone."

"I knew you'd get chosen!" Carlos exclaimed. "You're incredible, babe. They had to see that."

Gil couldn't express in words how proud he was feeling at that moment. He knew it was just the beginning, but he also knew his boyfriend would make the best of it, would fight until he reached the top.

"Thanks, guys. Fuck, this is so awesome!" Jay exclaimed, as he looked so damn happy it made Gil's heart feel warm. "I can barely believe it."

They finally let go of the hug, so all three of them could see the letter.  
"That's amazing, babe." Carlos said. "I can tell you're going far."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, alright? This is great, but it's also a really minor team." The Alpha explained. "And I'm not even going to be one of the main players. I'll be on the bench until they need me."

"Still, babe. That's huge!" Gil insisted. "Your career is starting. And this is a great start!"

"Is this... like, too far away?" Carlos asked in a small voice. Oh, no.  
Gil hadn't considered that maybe this team could be in some kingdom they've never heard about on the other side of the globe.

"What? No, no. It's an Auradonian team." Jay said, which tranquilized both omegas. "I wouldn't apply for something that made it impossible to see you two."

Ok, that did make Gil feel good. Logically, he knew how important he and Carlos were to Jay, but it didn't hurt to be reminded of that.

"Evil, this is our lives really starting, you know?" Carlos said. "It's so crazy to think that if somebody told us this would happen like... three years ago, we'd think they're crazy."

Sometimes it was overwhelming to think about how life would've been if Ben had never given the Isle people a chance. Jay would never even know he loved tourney as much as he did, Carlos brilliant brain would go to waste without a proper education system and Gil would never get access to what he needed to heal from his traumas.

So yeah, better not to dwell on that so much. What matters is that now they're safe again and their future is looking bright.

"There's just one downside on that." Jay said, looking a little apprehensive. "I'll have to live on the dorms of their training center for a while. So... the whole living on the ship thing won't happen."

"Oh... " Gil breathed out, not knowing what to say. "Do you know how long you'll have to live there?"

Jay made a face and that couldn't be a good sign.  
"Well... this is an one year contract. Living there is mandatory on the first six months, but optional after that." He explained. "So yeah, I'll need to live like that for at least six months."

"But... will we be able to visit you? And vice-versa?" Carlos asked, apprehensive as well.

"Yeah, of course. I'm not going to jail, c'mon, I can come and go whenever I please." Jay guaranteed. "And you're free to visit too. Besides, I get days off for both my ruts and my partner's heat."

Alright, it seemed less scary when you put it like that. Their relationship could definitely survive that.   
"And when do you have to go?" Gil asked.

"Trainings start in a month." Jay said. "But don't worry, I won't let this change anything between us."

"I'm not worried." Carlos said. "I trust us to make this work."  
He was absolutely right, if there were people in this world who could make it, they were them. They had been through much worse together.

"We should totally celebrate this." Gil said. "And we need to tell our friends too, they'll be so happy for you."

"Well, you're right, but..." Jay said, getting closer to Gil and letting his hands rest on the boy's waist."How about we celebrate a little on your own first?"  
The omega didn't answer verbally, but kissed his boyfriend firmly on the lips.

The kiss already started open mouthed, both feeling the sudden urge to being as close as possible. The three of them had only a month of going to sleep and waking up together before Jay started a new step on his life, so they needed to enjoy every second.

Gil tried to transmit how proud and energized he was feeling with all of that. There were things he would miss, of course, but this wasn't a moment of loss. No, this was a moment of happiness, of knowing that his boyfriend worked hard for something and managed to get it.

Gil didn't wait long to take one of Jay's hand from his waist and lower it to the swell of his ass. The Alpha seemed a little surprised but went with it.

The second they parted for breath Jay let go of him and went to kiss Carlos, who threw himself into the bed and made a motion for Jay to get in there two. Well, he didn't need to be told twice, laying on top of the boy and starting to kiss him deeply.

Gil sat down on the edge of the bed, not wanting to miss a second of his boyfriends hot making out.

Carlos was clearly also feeling energized, as he tried to drag Jay even closer by grabbing on his shoulder as he practically grinded up against him. The Alpha loved every second of it.

They kissed roughly and with a lot of tongue and it was a fucking beautiful image to watch. Once they needed to catch a breath, both took the opportunity to take their shirts off.

But before they could go back to action Jay said:  
"Wait, wait. What are you guys down for today?"

Making things as clear as possible had always been important to them, but since Gil got attacked again it was an absolute priority.

"Whatever you guys want." Carlos said. "I'm down for almost anything right now."

"I think... I think I wanna go a little further today." Gil said, voice as soft as possible. Things had been slow, sexually speaking, for him in the last few months.

There had been lots of grinding, I mean  _lots_ of it, and an ocassional handjob, but that had been it for the last three months. Gil felt ready to change that.

"You know this isn't a goodbye, right? There's no need to rush into anything." Jay said, voice full of concern. "I'll still be here tomorrow, and I'll still see you guys when I move there."

"I know, I'm not rushing anything I promise. I just feel like it's time." He assured. "But... I don't mean I wanna be fucked, alright? I know it's been already three months, but I'm not there yet. And I don't know when I'll be okay with it again."

"Hey, it's not three months already, it's _only three months_." Carlos reminded him. "We waited the first time and we can wait again for as long as you need."

That made Gil smile. That's exactly why he trusted his boyfriends so much with everything he had.  
"He's right, don't forget that we have all time in the world." Jay said. "But... what do you want to do then?"

"You could eat me out." He offered. "Maybe I could give a blowjob, if you feel up to it."

Jay snorted.  
"I definitely feel up to it." He answered. "Then I could finger you, 'Los." Carlos nodded eagerly, very into the idea.

The two of them went back to kissing roughing, grinding against each other even more vigorously than before. And Gil, of course watched even more attentively.

Soon the Alpha started to suck on Carlos' neck, leaving there the beautiful little bruises he liked so much, and Carlos only moaned in response. He starting using his legs around the Alpha's hips too, wanting more friction between them.

Once Jay was satisfied with his marks on Carlos, and aroused enough by all of it, he got up and took his own pants off. Gil mimicked him, taking off his own underwear too in the process. When the Alpha came back to the bed, he stayed on top of Gil instead.

He kissed him passionately, but decided to play it safe with his hands for a while. Gil clearly didn't agree as he quickly lead his hands lower again, and his lover took it as the hint it was and started grabbing it.  
"Fuck, babe... so hot." Jay breathed out, vocal as usual.

Gil did the same as Carlos had done earlier, wrapping his legs around his boyfriend's hips. He wanted as much contact as possible between the two of them.

Their kisses were hot and fast, and they fitted the waves of euphoria they were experiencing regarding the news they just got. They were happy and in love and it clearly showed.

Jay started a trail of wet kisses down the omega's neck, that soon turned into kisses down his belly and eventually reached his inner thigh. Once he reached there, Gil opened his legs wider, eager for what he knew that was to come.

The Alpha separated his cheeks carefully, but Gil could see how eager he was as well. It had been a while, after all.

He was already getting slick from the anticipation. Before Jay's mouth was even there, he could already remember how good it felt.

Just feeling Jay's heated breath in that area, already sent chills down his spine. So when his boyfriend actually started licking it was heaven. As amazing as he remembered.

"F-fuck... why did we go so long without this?" He complained, realizing how much he missed being eaten out.

Jay started slithering his tongue inside which made the omega start to press back against his tongue.  
"Someone's being greedy, huh?" Like the smug son of a bitch he was, he took his mouth off of Gil just to say that.

He especially enjoyed when his boyfriend thrusted his tongue in and out, quickly. There was just something about it that he couldn't describe and damn, did he miss it.

Then Jay started to suck on the hole, which was a completely different sensation, but just as good. Sometime around that, Gil looked over to the other side of the bed, just to see Carlos completely naked slowly jerking off to the sight of the two of them.  
It was _such_ _a gorgeous_ view.

Gil was so wet, he kind of had forgotten how wet this made him. Before meeting his boyfriends he might have thought that all that slick and spit was gross, but at that point he considered it hot. Like everything about what they were doing was.

Being pleasured like that could be freeing, in a way. It reminded him how his body was his, his to share with whoever he truly wanted to, and how good it could make him feel. It reminded him of how things were supposed to feel when they are done the right way.

He had been afraid that being touched down there could be triggering for him, but it couldn't be more far away from the truth. He knew this touch already, he knew how Jay liked to touch him and he _wanted_ Jay to touch him.

When he started to alternate sucking and thrusting, Gil knew it wouldn't take too long for him to come. The sensations were going to be too much for him in just a few moments.

He put a hand around his cock, with the intention of jerking himself off to finish, but Jay soon realized that and put his own hand around him, guiding his movements instead.

From then on, Gil was a goner. He only had a few seconds before he was coming undone all over his belly and clenching on Jay's tongue, with a high shout slipping from his lips.

It took him more than a minute to really get this breath. And Jay wasn't helping by smiling smugly and looking at him with that slick-covered face. It was just pure sin.  
"That... was fucking awesome." Gil admitted. "But it had been a while. I really missed your tongue."

"Would it be bad if I said it missed your ass too?" He said, making both omegas laugh at his stupid comment.

"You're really unbelievable, babe." Carlos piped in. "But now go on and get off, 'cause I'm still waiting for my turn."

"I think you should go first." Gil suggested. "If not, you'll have to wait until the knot goes down, you know?"

Jay frowned a little.  
"You're going to let me knot your mouth?" He asked, sounding like he could barely believe it.

"Yeah, unless you don't want me to." He answered, a little confused about what was the big deal. "We did it once before... you know."

"Yeah, I remember." The Alpha said. "But isn't it a little early to try it again? I won't be able to pull out or anything like that if we're knotted."

"I won't panic because of it, I'm pretty sure. This doesn't really remind me of anything. When I was at the ship it only happened once, I think? And, more recently, Black Murphy did nothing like that." He explained. "There's no nice way to put it, but... They knew damn well I didn't want it and it's hard to enjoy yourself when you're worried that your dick will be bitten off."

Yeah, it was kind of an awkward talk to have, but it was needed. His boyfriends just nodded, understanding what he meant.

Jay gave him a sweet kiss in the cheek before rolling over to Carlos' side then. They kissed immediately, and it was a hot, wet kiss.

The Alpha took one of his hands to feel around Carlos' waiting hole, probably still trying decide whether it was wet enough for fingering.

Once he decided that, yeah, it was pretty much wet, he inserted the first finger slowly, letting the omega get used to it. Carlos let out a loud, satisfied whine at the intrusion and started pushing back against the finger.  
"You're eager too, babe?" Jay asked, but obeyed what the omega seemed to want, pumping the finger in and out faster, harder.

He started to leave hickeys on his neck and collar bones again, absolutely loving the the taste of the skin on his mouth and the beautiful visual he knew would be printed there afterwards.

It took only a little more of whining to get Jay to add another finger, and you could see in Carlos' face that this moment was absolute bliss. The Alpha started to point upwards with both of his fingers, trying to find that sweet spot.

He knew that body damn well, so it didn't take him much longer to find it, making his boyfriend moan out loud underneath him.  
"You like that, 'Los?" He asked, and Carlos could only nod, not trusting his mouth to form words.

Jay picked the pace up even more, loving how much wetter his lover got the moment he pressed the right spot. The slick made his job easier and even more fun than it already was.

Gil didn't intend on getting off again, but it didn't mean he couldn't enjoy that view he loved so much. He felt so connected to his lovers that just watching made it seem like he was participating too.

Carlos pulled Jay for a kiss, moaning into his mouth with each thrust of the fingers inside him. They kissed for so long it seemed like they didn't even need air, they just needed each other.

The Alpha inserted a third finger, which was already a tight fit, but they all knew Carlos loved it. And the way he moaned loudly only confirmed that. The pace started being more alternated at that moment; quick at first, but then it got more slow and sensual.

"So fucking beautiful, babe." Jay complimented and he was absolutely right. Everything on the scene was beautiful; from Carlos' face full of pleasure to the way the muscles in Jay's armed moved.

"T-touch me." Carlos begged, eyes closed and hips matching Jay's rhythm perfectly.

As the attentive lover Jay was, he put a hand around his lover's cock with the same intensity he thrusted his fingers in and out.

Carlos alternated between snapping his hips up to look for Jay's hand and pressing his ass against those talented fingers of his. His body just wanted more and more.

Jay picked up his rhythm on both his hands, knowing that, if he did that, his boyfriend wouldn't take much longer to come. It would soon become too much for him.   
"Come on, babe." He urged. "Cum for me, 'Los."

And that's exactly what he did. The omega shouted Jay's name loudly as he released all over his own belly, breathing heavily.

Jay, being the tease he was, offered his slick covered fingers for Gil to suck on. Well, he wasn't one to back down from a challenge, so he did just that, maintaining eye contact with the Alpha the whole time.   
"That's so hot, Gil..." Jay said, licking his lips in excitement.

"That was so fucking good." Carlos said, with his breathing still hard, and then got up. "I think I'm gonna take a shower now, you two have fun."

Jay frowned.  
"You sure you wanna miss the show?" He asked, playfully. The omega grinned at him.

"If I watch the show, I'm going to come again." He said. "And I'm too tired for that right now." So, with a quick peck to Jay's lips he disappeared into the bathroom.

The Alpha laid back down more comfortably on the bed, spreading his legs a little. Gil took it as the invitation it was, lying on his stomach a little below on the bed, so his head was in the level of Jay's crotch.

"Ready?" He asked, licking his lips at the erect cock in front of him. It could be a little intimidating, but it was damn hot too.

"Born ready." Jay said. "Wait... can I still play with your hair and stuff?"  
Yeah, he had a big thing for hair pulling and usually Gil would just tell him to go to town on him, but he decided to play it safe.

"Yes, but... not too hard at first, ok?" He asked in a small voice, and his boyfriend nodded, understanding his reasoning.

Gil put one of his hands on his boyfriend's chest and took the other to the base of his cock. He started giving only a few kitten licks all over it, liking the little sounds Jay made at that.

But he was quick to actually open his mouth and wrap it around the head, making his lover moan loudly. From the moment that contact happened, the Alpha had one of his hands grabbing Gil's hair, but didn't pulled too hard, as promised.

He starts getting more and more of the dick into his mouth. The omega knew if he tried hard enough he could take all of it, but it was better to play it safe. It had been a while since the last time he did this too.

Maybe it had to do with the fact that he loved Jay so fucking much, but for some reason, Gil did actually like the taste and the weigh in his mouth when he gave head.

"Shit, babe..." Jay breathed out. "Your mouth is perfect." Yeah, talking about mouths, now that Jay had his free he would surely talk a lot.

Gil opened his eyes, which were already getting a little watery, remembering that his boyfriend found it pretty hot when he could look in his eyes as he did that.  
"Screw that, y-you're all perfect." He added.

He works his tongue over the tip a little and then goes back to taking whatever he can, stuffing his mouth full. Then, he starts bobbing his head up and down the shaft, slow and sensual at first.

"Fuck...b-babe..." The Alpha let out. "J-just what I needed..." That instigated him to pick up the pace.

Gil stops for a second, so he can take some air, breathe properly and all that, but he uses his hand to stroke Jay as he did so.

Once he feels ready, he comes back to licking it all over, from the tip to the base, which clearly did something for Jay, based on the low groan he made. Gil repeated that a few more times, before taking the cock inside his mouth again.

He bobs his head even harder than before, having to close his eyes now, which were already glassy by that point. Jay's moans get louder and louder at each movement of his head and it sounded so perfect to him, he felt so fucking blessed to know he was the one causing these sounds.

Gil could feel himself getting slick, but he wasn't getting hard yet. Which was good since he also felt like a second orgasm would be a little overwhelming for him at that moment.

Jay grabbed his hair a lot harder at that moment, but still not hard enough to hurt or anything, so it was okay. Gil enjoyed when he did that too.

"I d-don't... think I'll... I'll last..." Jay warned, but his lover knew him enough to know that before he said anything.

Gil pulled off a little bit, taking a breath and concentrating, knowing he needed those few seconds before he really got his mouth knotted. Following that, he came back full force.

He was fast in his movements, and could feel Jay was moving his hips the tiniest bit, wanting to fuck his mouth, but restraining himself. As much as Gil wanted it too, he thought it was smarter to leave that for another day.

The omega felt it in the way Jay trembled before the Alpha warned him:  
"I-I'm... c-coming." He shouted. The knot started to grow at the same time and Gil just put his mouth at the best position for that and kept it there, waiting.

The Alpha was literally howling with pleasure, as small tremors took over his body, and it made Gil feel proud of himself. That was a job well fucking done.

He had to shallow the load quickly, which was a little hard, but he managed it without getting desperate. He was also proud of that, because Jay always came _a_ _lot_.

"Damn, Gil. That was fucking incredible!" Jay complimented, panting hard. "You're okay in there?"  
Gil tried to give him a thumbs up, given how full his mouth was.

That's the thing about oral knotting: it was uncomfortable after the knot popped. You just stayed there, mouth opened and sore jaw until it went down, which could take some time. So, that part wasn't exactly fun, but wasn't hell either. And everything that lead to it was _so much_ fun that it was really fucking worth it.

And now it was almost over, everyone was satisfied and, thank Evil, nothing had triggered him at all. Really, it couldn't have been better and he was happy he was slowly getting his sex life back. None of those assholes who hurt him had taken this from him and it was damn good to remember that.

**UMA**   
It was later, almost nighttime, and she and Harry were at the ship, eating some popcorn and watching action movies. Uma thought they made absolutely no sense, but were fun anyway.

"Can you believe I'm getting mated like... this month?" Harry commented, out of the blue.

"You're not getting cold feet, are you?" She asked, slightly worried. It would be terrible if he started to overthink his decision at that moment.

Thankfully, he made a face at that.  
"What? No, of course not." He said. "I love Ben, you know that."

It was sweet seeing how easy it was for him to say he loved his future mate out loud now. Harry used to be so emotionally constipated before, even worse than Uma herself.   
So, for him to be able to say it so casually, it meant he _really_ loved Ben.

"So, you're just mentioning it because you're... what? Nervous, excited?" She asked, not really seeing what he was aiming at.

Harry shrugged.  
"Both? I don't even know." He confessed. "I guess it's just difficult to remember that this is real, that I really get to have this."

She smiled at him.  
"I admit things will be pretty lonely here without you." She said, knowing he would understand the 'I'll miss you' implicit in her words.

He smiled back, something soft in his eyes as he spoke:  
"You'll always be my captain, no matter what. I'll come to this ship every day I can, you're not getting rid of me that easily."

"That's nice to hear." Uma said. "But, just to make sure: what's my name?"

Harry made a show of taking off his hat to answer.  
"Uma." He said, confidently. Yeah, she would really miss this.

At that moment, they both heard the door opening and saw a happy Gil entering the room.  
"Hey, guys." He greeted, cheerful.

"Finally." The girl said. "I thought you had given up on spending the night here."

The omega shrugged.  
"I was... a little busy." He said, and didn't seem ashamed at all, knowing everyone got the implication. Yeah, dating those two was being good to him.

"Hm, busy, eh?" Harry teased, making Gil snort, clearly not really minding the teasing.

"You seem in a good mood." Uma noted. "I take it that Jay did a good job, then?"

Without missing a blink, he answered:  
"Well, he definitely did." It was good to see him this confident. "But that's not just it. Jay's heard some news today, I guess he'll want to tell people in person, but they're really good news."

Harry raised an eyebrow at him.  
"That's kinda mysterious." He said. "I approve."

It was nice having all three of them in the ship, under the same roof. Gil spent less and less time there, and Uma knew it was only a matter of time until Jay found a job and a place for himself and took Gil away with him, and goddamn it, Harry was about to get mated and go live in a castle.

Uma knew things were about to change, so she learned to cherish the little things. Yeah, she knew all these changes were for the best, and she was happy it was happening, it meant they were growing up, but it didn't mean she wouldn't hold on to moments like these.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we'll finally have the mating! Please, comment here, if you can! ♡ Thank you for all the support!


	27. I've never worn white, but I wanna get it right

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally Ben and Harry's big day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the last official chapter in this story. I've planned a lot of things to say, but nothing could really express how I feel. This fic is my baby, I love every minute I spent writting it and I put my heart into every word here, so I'll miss it so, so MUCH, my chest is full of pain while I say goodbye. However, I'm also so happy I got this far, so proud of myself and of the results of my work. This is the first longfic I have ever finished! So thank you, thank you, thank you for being the reason I post this. Thanks for the kudos and for the comments, that I love so much, thank you for the kind words and all your time. I love you guys! ❤  
> Enjoy! ♡
> 
> WARNINGS: Smut (all with consent, don't worry), very mild gore I think?

**BEN**

****The day had arrived.

Ben was getting mated to the love of his life that day. He was happy, overjoyed even, but it would be a lie to say he wasn't dying of nervousness too.

Everything was beautiful in the decoration. The ceremony would be done in front of the castle, and the view was stunning: All trees had been wrapped in fairy lights, there were hundreds of white chairs in lines in front a beautiful little white altar, all of that full of flowers.

He and Harry had reached an accord regarding the flowers. Besides the roses, which they had in red and white, they also got proteas and daisies all around the place. Red proteas that meant daring, transformation and courage. It all reminded him of Harry, he felt like all of those words fitted him somehow.

Harry chose yellow daisies for him: cheerfulness, loyal love and purity. It made him feel giddy to think that that was how his lover saw him.

At that moment he had less than an hour before the ceremony started and Evie was helping him with his clothing in one of the many rooms of the castle. She wasn't the only one there with him though: his mom, his Best Alpha and his Best omega were all there.

Of course, Mal was his Best Alpha, she was his best friend and the first person he thought should do that. His choice of Best omega, Audrey, was a little more controversial. Yeah, they weren't so close since the break up, but she was in his life since they were toddlers and had been his best friend through all of his childhood. He felt like she deserved that role.

"Ben, could you, please stop shaking? You're making my job way harder than it has to be." Evie complained, trying to fit the tunic as perfectly as possible.

"Well, If I could stop it I would." He said. "I'm just... really overwhelmed."

"I'm going to get you a glass of water, alright, baby?" His mother offered and he nodded.

"You don't need to be nervous, Ben." Mal piped in. "He loves you, you love him. That's all you need to do this." He took a deep breath, trying not to let his emotions get the best of him.

"I hate to agree with Mal, but she is right today, Benny Boo." Audrey said. "Just drink your water and breathe. You'll be fine."

He knew that, _of course_ he knew that. He wanted to be mated to Harry more than any words could explain, but that was probably why his heart was beating so fast he felt like it could explode and fly out of his chest.

Soon his mother was bringing his water and he drank it all in one go, clearly not feeling any better.

"Son, don't worry, alright? I can see how nervous you are, but that's perfectly okay. I was like that in the night of my mating ceremony too." Belle said. "I know exactly how you feel. You're sure of what you want, but you still feel like breathing is hard. You love him so much that it seems like your heart will explode. You waited for this for so long you can't believe it's really happening."

"That's... that's really it. " He said. His mother was right, as usual. "That's everything I'm feeling."

She took his hand in hers.  
"I know." Belle said. "Most of it is normal. But if you think you might feel sick or pass out from nervousness, remember that: there's nothing really different there. It's just you saying you love Harry and hearing him saying it back, surrounded by people who love both of you. It's simple like that."

Her words did make sense. All of that was just a way to show people he loved Harry, to tell Harry how strong that love was. They already did that every day, it wasn't a new thing.

"Thanks, mom." He said, smiling at her. "It really made me feel better."

"And... it's done." Evie said, turning him around to look at himself in the mirror. "We'll just have to put the veil on now."

He felt tears in his eyes, and tried to not let them fall down, but failed as he looked at his reflexion. That was it, this was his dream right in front of him. That's what he wanted to be dressed with the day he walked down the aisle to say I do.

"It's beautiful, Evie." He said. "Thank you so much. None of this would happen without you." The girl smiled so brightly.

"It's exactly like the tradition dictates, but even more beautiful." Belle said, tears in her eyes as hell. "Son, you look stunning."

In fact, all works Evie had done that were in that room were stunning. Her own dress, a bright shade of blue, lighter than her usual tone, was long and had a slit on the level of her knees. The top cut was low, but in an elegant way.

Mal was all in bright red, like the tradition asked. Her dress was sleeveless, the thin fabric in different layers made it especially flowy. She was wearing a silver belt, perfectly fitted on her body, that added a lot to the look. Audrey's dress had long sleeves made of lace and it was all the lightest shade of grey, very soft looking. The dress was long and had some ornaments on the top.

Ben's mother wore the palest shade of yellow, long sleeves made of an even thinner lace. The long gown was all made of silk and it was also very flowy.

The fabric Ben wore, on the other hand, was heavy, but beautiful in a unique way. The tunic covered all of his body, except for half of his hand and his head. But soon the thick veil would hide his face too. All the embroidery was made in lace, on top of the fabric of the tunic itself, and the work was absolutely perfect.

"Thanks, mom." He said. "But it's all Evie's doing, really."

"Alright, how about you take a seat and I take a look at your hair before we put the veil on." Mal offered and he did as he was told.

Things were kind of a haze of people trying to get him ready; something to adjust on the clothing, a lip balm to make his lips look shiny, Mal and Audrey arguing about how his hair should be styled... Everything was kind of crazy at those moments.

That is, until they all heard soft knocking on the door startling out of whatever they were doing. Ben shouted for the person to come in.

"Hey. Wow, son... you look great." It turns out it was Adam at the door. "And so do you, honey. But I came here to say everything is ready, we're just waiting for you."

Ben felt like he could barely breathe again.  
"Oh, goodness. It's time." He said.

"Hey, don't get all nervous again. Deep breathes, you can do this." Mal reminded him, her voice firm.

"Don't forget what I said, son." Belle said. "There's nothing new about this, you're just going to remind everyone around you how much you love Harry." Yeah, that's what he needed in his mind right now.

"We'll just finish putting the veil on and then you'll be ready to go there." Evie said, adjusting the veil on the back of his head.

He thought that once the front part of the veil was on, covering his face, he'd feel more breathless, but oddly enough it soothed him, somehow. He felt more secure underneath it.   
Nobody could really see his face, but he could see everyone.

Once the last detail was ready, it was time. He and all the people who were there with him went down the stairs, getting inside another room where they could watch everything that happened outside, which was where the ceremony was really going to take place.

"Alright, so you can watch everything from here until it's your time to go there." Evie said. "Wait, you know the moment you need to enter, right?"

He chuckled. Of course he knew that, this ceremony was all he could think about for more than three months.  
"I know the order in which everyone enters." He said.

"Alright, so I'll guess we'll go outside to wait for our cue." Mal said. "Don't worry about anything, alright? This place is beautiful, and you and Harry are real soul mates. There's nothing that could make this not work."

His mother came closer and kissed his cheek sweetly.  
"She's right." Belle said. "Don't forget what I told you, alright?" And with that all four women left, leaving Ben and his father on that kind of waiting room.

"The marriage officiant is there already, look." His father said. "And Harry is already on the other room, waiting for us to start."

It did make Ben sweat a little.  
"Great, it's happening." He said, trying to be confident. "I'm getting mated, can you believe that?"

His father chuckled.  
"You're telling me this? It seems like just yesterday I held you in my arms for the first time." Adam said. "But, really, son... You know I wasn't happy about you dating Hook, but this feels right. I think he's going to take good care of you."

It warmed Ben's heart to hear that. Of course he loved Harry, but he loved his parents as well and wanted all of them to get along well.   
"I know he will, dad." Ben assured.

Right after that he started to hear music; the band had started playing and the ceremony was beginning. Ben practically clutched against the window to watch everything until it was his time to go there.

The first person to enter was Evie, throwing petals at the carpet so that Ben's mother could enter. Typically, an omega of honor would be the one to enter and throw petals to mark the path before each person involved in the ceremony passed, much like a flower girl would do in a beta wedding.

But Ben and Harry decided Evie should take one of those places, even though she wasn't an omega. Their friend had always been there and that ceremony wouldn't be the same without her amazing work, so of course she needed a place in it.    
She looked lovely with her beautiful smile and as dainty as the rose petals she threw gracefully on the ground.

Belle was the first one to step on the path of flowers, and she looked thrilled to be there. Ben had tears in his eyes from watching that, from seeing how happy she was for him.

Once she got at the altar and sat on the chair designed for her beside it, the music changed for the two couples of Best Alpha and Best Omega to enter.

First, the ones on the Alpha groom side: respectively, Uma and Gil. She looked absolutely gorgeous with a bright red mermaid style dress with beautiful embroidery all over it and bright red lipstick that matched the dress perfectly. Gil wore a simple, but stylish light grey suit, and a tie of an ever lighter tone.

Their eyes were absolutely shining as they entered. Ben knew what it meant: they were proud of Harry. The three of them had supported each other for all of their lives and that day it would be no different. Their friendship was beautiful and it warmed Ben's heart to see the expression on both of their faces.

Then, Mal and Audrey, as his best Alpha and Omega were entering right after. He admitted seeing the two of them arm in arm made him chuckle a little. But even that made him emotional too, because those were his friends putting their differences aside because of _him_. Isn't it beautiful?

Once they took their seats the music stopped for a moment and Ben's breath hitched. Oh Goodness, it was it, his mate was about to walk down the aisle.

When another music started played, Jane appeared, wearing a pastel blue soft-looking gown and gently throwing red rose petals on the ground. And right after that was when his mate entered, he didn't even see from where exactly, but he looked like _everything_ Ben had ever wanted _._

The omega just let the tears fall, not even trying to control them anymore, letting his emotions out.  
"Son... are you crying? Is everything okay?" Adam asked. The veil made it impossible to see his face, but the small sobs could be heard.

"I'm fine, d-dad." He said. "I'm just... so happy. I love him so much."

Harry was stunning with his dark red velvet suit. It had black details on each sleeve and the Alpha were an all black shirt underneath it as well, his black tie almost camouflaged with it. It fitted him so well.

But even though the clothing was awesome, it wasn't the best thing for Ben. He thought the Alpha would look nervous for what he was about to do, or uncomfortable from being watched by so many people, but Harry just looked happy and calm.

It made every last bit of nervousness leave him body completely. Seeing his lover so calm and sure about it was what Ben needed to feel completely at ease.

Harry was right about wanting to go there alone. He entered that aisle like he owned it, not needing anyone to pretend they raised him or to take care of him. Entering alone was his way to tell those people his story.

Suddenly, Ben's train of thought was interrupted as the door opened.  
"Hey, we're next." Carlos announced, wearing a pastel blue suit as well. There was a little basket with white rose petals in his hands. "There's only you now."

Ben got up and his father offered him his arm. That was the moment he had been waiting for all of his life, and he couldn't wait to follow through and promise to love Harry forever and ever.

When the nuptial march started playing, Ben was all smiles, even though no one could see them behind the veil. Carlos was making a white petal path some good steps ahead of him, but Ben only had eyes for the Alpha standing there at the end of the aisle.

Harry's whole face lit up when he saw Ben, even though he couldn't even see his face and the omega felt his jaw hurting from smiling so much. He had made great choices that leaded him to being there.

Once they reached the alter, his father kissed the top of his head sweetly and then passed his hand for Harry to hold. The Alpha smiled brightly at him and Ben did the same, even thought he knew he couldn't be seen.

The music stopped playing and everyone sat down. For a few seconds the only thing Ben could hear was the sound of his heart beating loudly.

"Citizens of Auradon, we are all here to celebrate the union of this young couple under the light of everything  that is good." The marriage officiant said. "Our King, Ben Florian, and our soon to be king as well, Harry Hook are about to become one under the laws of this kingdom and soon after that they will become one at their soul."

The words were simple to him, he knew all of that already, there was nothing new, but it made Ben beam with happiness to hear that.

"I have to say, this is the most important, yet more... unortodox union I have ever witnessed." The man said, making most people let out little laughs. "But what is important here goes beyond what any human eye can see. We are talking about love, about feelings, about the overwhelming desire to share their lives with each other until their last breath."

Ben listened attentively, but he couldn't take his eyes away from Harry to look at the officiant. His soon-to-be Alpha was just too radiant for him to look the other way.

"The most beautiful thing about a mating is the sense of eternity in it. A wedding can end in a divorce, but nothing can separate two souls once the bite has taken." The man went on. "So for these two young men to be here today it means they have absolutely no doubts about their love and I think I speak for everyone here when I say that's one of the most beautiful things a couple could do."

It was beautiful, indeed. It was _forever_ , and thinking about how much he wanted to do that, to be Harry's until the day he dies... it was all confirmation he would ever need that that man was the love of his life.

"And to represent eternity, we have wedding rings. Could the Best Couples bring them in, please?" He asked. Gil and Mal got up from their seats, each handing a little box to the ceremony officiant. "Excellent. The grooms have their vows written, right?"

Both of them nodded eagerly, wanting to say what they felt for each other for everyone there to hear.

"Great. The Alpha may now take the omega's veil off so the two of them can exchange vows." The man said.

Harry approached and Ben could feel that his hands were trembling a little, while he took the veil off delicately.    
It was the first time he was seeing Ben's face in the whole day, and Ben felt one single happy tear slide down his face. He could see that Harry's eyes were watering as well.

"You look amazing." The Alpha whispered while he finished taking the veil off. Ben figured he must have handed it to someone after that, but he didn't even see it happening.

The officiant handed Harry one of the jewel boxes, and he opened it revealing the most beautiful ring. It was all in silver, with tiny colorless diamonds all along it and a big white sapphire stone right in the middle.

"Ben Florian, I... I never thought I would fall in love. I literally felt like I wasn't capable of that." Harry started. "But I met you and from the very start I knew there was something especial about us. The thing is I took too long to admit that, even to myself, and this is my only regret. But now I'm certain of what I feel, of how much I love you, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life telling you this over and over again. You changed me, with your love I'm a better man, Ben. I love you for that, for other millions of things too, and I can't wait to be your Alpha, yer highness."

At that point, Ben had tears streaming down his face and he couldn't stop them. He didn't even want to.

Harry slided that beautiful ring on Ben's finger, smiling sweetly at him. It fitted perfectly. The marriage officiant handed Ben the other little box and he opened it slowly, showing its content to Harry.

It was all black, with two separated strains of small rubies all over it and a medium sized black diamond at the center. Ben knew it well, since he was the one to choose it, and he sincerely hoped Harry liked it.

"Harry Hook, I have waited for you my whole life. I've dreamed about finally finding a love like ours for years." Ben started his vows. "So I don't care when people say we're too different or that we don't make sense together, because they have no idea how wonderful you make me feel every time you kiss me or even when you just look at me."

He took a small pause to properly catch his breath in the middle of all those emotions.

"You once told me you weren't one for romance, but you got me in tears with your beautiful words today. I think that proves that we belong together, that we're willing to become more, to become better to see the other happy." He went you. "You're the answer to all the wishes I made since I presented, Harry. I love you so, so much... And I can't wait to be your omega."

He then slided the ring in Harry's finger and he could feel that the words touched the Alpha too.

"Now, the Alpha should give the omega his necklace." The officiant said. "The necklace should represent the Alpha himself and the promise he makes to protect his omega during all of his time on earth."

Alright, that was something Ben was _dying_ to see. The pendant on the necklace was supposed to be something that the omega would associate with his Alpha and he was curious to see what Harry would choose. What symbol could be associated to him? Maybe a ship, for being a pirate?

The Alpha took the necklace out of his pocket and showed it to Ben. It was all in silver and the pendant was an anchor tied with a rope that formed the symbol of infinity. It was beautiful, but more than that, it felt like a promise.

He putted it on Ben's neck with as much care as he did with the ring and the omega could feel his breath against his neck as Harry adjusted the necklace on him.

Once everything was settled the marriage officiant started talking again.   
"Now that all the symbolism is in order, we can move on to the most decisive part of this whole ceremony." He said. "Harry Hook, do you take Ben Florian as your omega to claim, and to be yours for better or for worse, just as you promise to protect and love him in sickness or health until death do you apart?"

"I do." Harry answered. "I do so damn much." Some guests let out exasperated gasps at that, but Ben didn't care about them.

"Ben Florian." The man went on. "Do you take Harry Hook as your Alpha, who will claim you, who you will belong to for better or for worse, just as you promise to support and love him in sickness or health until death do you apart?"

"I do." Ben answered, with all the confidence he had in him.

Many people thought the traditional vows were a little... outdated or antiquated. And the true was, yeah the wording was a bit like that, but it was a core part of the traditional.  
And he knew, and Harry knew, that they would belong to each other equally, so it was all that mattered.

"By the power invested in me by the United States of Auradon I declare you Alpha and omega." The man said. "You may kiss the groom."

They both took a step ahead and the moment their lips touched it felt like magic, like fire, like everything Ben had ever wanted. People started clapping and cheering loudly, and he had never felt this happy before.

Harry had both hands on his waist, as he had his on the Alpha's shoulders, bringing his closer and closer.

Once they parted, Harry dried a tear on Ben's cheek and whispered:  
"That's it, darling. We're married." Even his voice seemed happy. "You're mine and I'm yours."

 **JAY**  
He had forgotten how good the food on Royal events were. He hadn't been to one since Mal and Ben broke off their engagement, but _this_ was so much better. He had never been in an event this big.

The ceremony had been beautiful too, and both his boyfriends looked amazing participating in it.

After probably being forced to take pictures and make small talk with several royals, the grooms finally made it to their table. It was a big table, fitting both Uma's crew and Mal's gang.

"Congratulations, guys. The whole thing was beautiful." Gil was the first one to talk, excited for his friend. "You guys got me in tears with your speeches."

"He's right." Uma piped in. "Honestly, Harry, I'm so fucking proud of you."

Harry smiled wildly.  
"Thanks, guys." He said. "Everything feels so surreal, I can't believe I'm mated. But I'm also the happiest I've ever been." He looked at Ben fondly and they intertwined their hands.

"You guys deserve it." Mal said. "I can tell you're going to be very happy together."

And from then on, it was all of them congratulating the couple and talking about the ceremony, what the best parts were and such.  
Eventually they all had to take pictures with the grooms, but even that was somewhat fun, but after a while Harry and Ben had to go and take pictures with the royal family and such.

"Everything here looks so good." Carlos said, kind of out of the blue. "And the foods taste so good. Did you know some of these dishes are only prepared for mating ceremonies and no other occasions?"

"Is that... is that something you'd like? For the future?" Jay asked, but Carlos frowned at him. "I mean a mating ceremony. The two of you, have you ever thought about it?"

The two omegas exchanged a look.  
"Ben had kind of asked us that some time ago." Gil confessed. "You know, that time the three of us had an omega's night out?"

"Yeah, I remember that." Jay said. "So is that a no or...?" He trailed off.

"Everything here looks amazing and all, but I still think it's too Auradonian for me, for us." Carlos said. "I don't think we need all of this fuss when we do get mated."

'When' and not 'if', Jay paid attention to that. He liked hearing this, knowing their future together was a certain thing.

"I mean, I thought I wanted nothing like that too, but everything here is just so perfect..." Gil said. "Maybe when our time comes, we could do our own twist at the ceremony?"

"Hm, I like the idea. Throwing a party to celebrate it, but throw the traditions out of the window? Make it more VK style?" Jay said. "Count me in."

"Yeah, that does sound good." Carlos agreed. "But c'mon, we have lots of time to think about that."

"And when do you think it would be time that we... talked more about that?" Jay asked, but that roughly translated to 'when should I ask you to mate me without freaking either of you out?'

"I think... maybe when things are more defined? Like, when we know more or less what we're doing with our lives." Gil suggested. "Not that I wouldn't say yes anytime you asked me, but It would be nice to have some... stability, you know?"

Yeah, he knew. What Jay really wanted to do was to get up and bite both of their necks right there, but he knew that having at least some kind of plan was important when taking big decisions.

"How about we make a deal? We get mated when at least two of us have some kind of financial stability." Carlos suggested and it seemed like a solid plan.

"I really like that idea." Gil said, a dreamy smile on his face.

"I'm in." Jay agreed. "But, please, leave it to me to do the proposal, alright? You're already giving me ideas about it." All three ended up laughing

Jay felt so blessed that they could talk about this freely like that. Not that it wasn't a big deal, it was a _huge_ deal, but they felt so connected that they knew mating would eventually come, all they had to decide was when.

To him, that was what love was supposed to feel like.

"Come on." Carlos said, already getting up. "The dance floor is open. Don't you guys want to dance?"

"You're asking me if I want to awkwardly try to follow as you move one hundred times better than I do, and then get an even more awkward hard on as I stare at how beautiful you are when doing something you love?" He asked and Carlos nodded. "Of fucking course I want to."

Both omegas giggled. Jay got up and offered his hand for Gil to take and do the same.  
"Ready to have a blast, babe?" He asked Gil.

The omega smiled wide.  
"With you?" He said. "Always."  
Yeah, they had a bright future ahead of them.

 **BEN**  
The party was starting to die down, which meant it was time for him and Harry to go to their room in the castle. Yes, 'their' as they had reformed a room beside Ben's old one, so it could truly be theirs.

At first, Harry had said he could just make the bedroom however he wanted, but Ben insisted that both were supposed to feel at home there. By now, most of Harry's stuff was there already.  
"Hey." Ben called, touching his _husband's_ shoulder lightly. "If you're ready to leave... I think we should go."

He could already feel himself blush. It wasn't just 'oh, let's go there', it was 'let's go consummate our mating'.

Harry smiled at him, gently touching his cheeks.  
"I'm so ready." He said. "Lead the way, yer highness."

The people who were still there cheered, some throwing more petals at them, while they made their way back to the castle. Once they got to their room, Harry closed the door slowly, trying to contain his smile.

"Can you believe that? We're one now." Ben beamed. "We're finally mated."

Harry got closer to him and touched his neck lightly.  
"Well, there's still a step missing." He whispered in his ear. "Evil, you'll look so pretty with my bite here." That sent goosebumps down the omega's spine.

Ben kissed his lips eagerly, surprising Harry a little from the intensity.

Just like always when they were together it was _fire_ , but that day it seemed to burn even brighter. He didn't know if it was because he was so in love and happy or because he already knew that this time they would be going further, they would be going all the way.

Harry's tongue felt perfect as it explored his mouth, and Ben just let him take over the kiss. He pulled the Alpha closer with his hands on his shoulder.

Once they parted for breath, Harry looked at him fondly and said:   
"You know, what I said some weeks ago still applies." He explains. "We don't have to do it right now, if you still need more time."

Ben was having none of it.  
"Harry, I've had a lot of time, ok?" He insisted. "Right now all I want is you, and I want you to have me. In every possible way, alright?"

The Alpha bitted his lip, clearly affected by that. To further prove his point, Ben took his husband's hands, which rested on his hips, and led them to his ass. Harry was quick to grab it firmly and go back to kissing him again.

He liked the way Harry touched him, and in return he took his hands to his tie, stopping the kiss for just enough time to throw the first piece of clothing away. Soon, Harry stopped again to take off his own suit and shirt.

Ben wasted no time to let his hand travel his mate's defined naked chest, and diving back to kiss again. The Alpha's skin felt hot against his body, and Ben just wanted to _burn_ in it forever _._ It was incredible how he was already getting a little slick.

"I think this... thing will be a little harder to take off." Harry said, looking at the boy's heavy tunic. Well, it was definitely a con of the tradition: this was really a nightmare to get rid off.

They managed to work it and to this day Ben had no idea how they did it, but eventually he was only in his underwear in front of his lover. His cheeks had never been redder before. He tried to cover his body with his hands, but Harry held them gently in no time.

"Don't." He pleaded. "I've waited for that view for a long time... and it's even better than I've dreamed." The omega had no idea what to say to that.

So he went and lied down on the bed, hoping that his lover would follow him. Harry took his pants off first, and didn't take his eyes off of Ben's body, not even for a second. Once he was done, he crawled on the bed until he was on top of him.

Ben had been waiting for kisses, but the Alpha went for his neck instead. Well, he couldn't complain about that.   
Harry must have realized that now they didn't even needed to worry about covering up hickeys or bruises, because he was basically attacking the boy's neck and it was  _delicious._ He sucked and bitted and licked, making Ben melt in littles moans under him.

Once their lips touched again, Ben felt even more fiery than before. The kiss was wet and rough, and he wished he never needed to part again. He wanted to stay like that forever.

Harry's hand were working even harder on his ass know, grabbing it in a way that made Ben whine into his mouth and it was _so hot._  
Things got even better when the Alpha started grinding against him and Ben did his best to match his movements. And, _well,_ Ben could really feel everything like this. He felt how hard and how big his lover was.

"Fuck, darling..." Harry breathed out. "You're such a hot little thing, aren't you?" He bitted the lobe of Ben's ear and the omega moaned loud at that. Harry realized this was a turn on for him, and starting licking there and behind the ear too.

Making out in their underwear was a completely different sensation. He felt like they were even closer like this.

He felt Harry's lips traveling down his neck, and then lower and lower until he reaches one of his nipples. He gave it a few licks and then sucked, at that moment Ben discovered he was very sensitive there, as he whined in a high tone. 

He could feel Harry smirking against his skin as he heard the sounds Ben was making. Then, he started traveling down with his mouth again, stopping when he reached the waistband of Ben's underwear.

The omega's breath hitched, he had never been as exposed to someone else as he was about to be.  
"Can I take it off?" Harry asked, voice gentle. Ben nodded, raising his hips so the boy could do it.

Once he was completely naked, the urge to hide himself striked him again and he tried to close his legs. But, obviously that didn't exactly work because Harry was between them.  
"You don't need to hide from me, remember?" He said. "You look perfect."

Ben let out a breathe at that. Harry was right, he had nothing to hide. He wanted to share every part of himself with his Alpha and this thought made him relax.

By now, Ben was already soaked with slick, desperately yearning for his mate's body against his own.  
"Can I take yours off now?" Ben asked, and Harry nodded eagerly.

He tried to take it off gently, but the Alpha's dick basically went out slapping on the Alpha's stomach. And _w o w..._

Obviously, Ben had never seen an Alpha naked before. All of his knowledge came from biology and health classed, so he _knew_ Alphas were supposed to be bigger than them, alright? But he was definitely not even close to thinking the difference was that much. His inner omega was screaming at him to touch it.

"I'm trying real hard not to say anything smug right now." Harry said, but Ben didn't even bother to look at his face as he talked. He felt like he was starstruck. "But you're making it very difficult by looking at it like this."

That actually made Ben chuckle, but he couldn't help but boost his Alpha's ego even more.  
"You get to feel smug over this." He promised. "I mean, look at you!"

Harry smirked at him, before coming closer and touching his inner thigh gently, getting a little of the slick that was there. He made a show of licking his fingers.  
"You get to feel smug too." He assured. Ben just had to kiss him again.

The Alpha started grinding against him again, _oh_ , forget what he said about doing this in their underwear. Doing it completely naked was just out of this world. Soon Harry's hands were getting lower on his body, until they stopped between his cheeks, rubbing his hole lightly.

It was so different, having somebody touch him there for the first time. Harry was barely doing anything, but it just felt so right and so intimate.

"You seem pretty wet, but I could eat you out, if you want." He offered. "You know, to make it easier." Ben had no idea what was an appropriate response to that.

"You're the specialist." Was what managed to come out of his mouth. Thankfully, Harry just laughed. "Just... do what you think it's best?" He had literally no idea what he was doing.

His mate chuckled again, and dived between his legs. He separated the cheeks with his hands, and already started inserting his tongue inside, goodness, Harry really doesn't play around. He was determined to do a good job and, boy, was he succeeding.

Ben let his moans ran free as Harry's tongue penetrated him over and over. Slowly, he started to insert his finger too. It was weird, how different it felt from when Ben did it to himself, but definitely a good weird.

"You're really fucking tight." Harry let him know, seeming amazed by his body. "It's going to be a tight fit once we get all the way." Well, Ben already knew that.

The first digit didn't really burn, but it didn't feel so good either. It was just... there. The licking around his hole really got him going, though.  
When the second digit started to go in, it did start to burn, but he felt like he could take it. Harry noticed his reaction and got back to kissing him.

He could use the delicious distraction of Harry's lips.   
Once the second finger was all in, the Alpha started to scissor both inside of the boy slowly, trying to get him used to the feeling bit by bit.

It was a little uncomfortable, until Harry managed to find his sweet spot and kept thrusting against it. He threw his head back in pleasure.  
"T-this is so good..." He said, breathing hard. He forgot about the burn in no time.

Unfortunately, he felt it again as the third finger made its way inside. This time Harry tried to distract him by sucking and licking behind of his ear again.

He could feel that the Alpha was trying to move his fingers a little, so that he could be stretched enough. God knew he would need all that preparation. Oh, goodness, he hoped he wouldn't bleed or anything.

They went on like that for some time, both wanting to make sure it was enough, that they didn't rush anything.

"I think you're ready." Harry said, taking his fingers out slowly. Ben whined at the loss, immediately wanting something to fill his hole again.

"Yeah, I feel like I am." The boy answered, cheeks heated from the arousal. "I love you." He felt the need to say.

The look on Harry's face became so soft at that. It made Ben's heart swell with how much he really did love him.  
"I love you too, darling. More than I've ever loved anyone." He said, and Ben knew how sincere his words were. He gave him a tiny pause before talking again. "You want me to warn you when I'm about to bite you?"

Oh God, the bite. Just thinking about it made him overjoyed. He would bear Harry's mark on him, right on his neck where everyone could see, _for the rest of his life._

He shook his head.  
"No, don't warn me." He said. "Just do it when it feels right to you." The Alpha nodded, then kissed his cheek sweetly.

He positioned himself as best as possible, intertwined one of his hands with Ben's, and started to push in slowly, as gentle as physically possible.

Ok, that definitely was more than just a burn, it did hurt a little. Ben can't help but wonder how the whole thing would fit inside of him.  
"F-fuck, Ben..." Harry breathed out. "So, so, so tight, oh evil..." He went in inch by inch, trying to make it less painful for his lover.

To say it was a tight fit was an understatement, but it didn't exactly hurt that bad either. Ben felt entirely capable of taking it all, he just needed a little more time. He was breathing even harder than before, trying his best not to clench on his mate.

Harry noticed this task was being a little hard on his lover, so he tried to distract him by touching his cock lightly. It worked a little, but it didn't mean that Ben didn't feel like he was being spilt in half.

The Alpha bottomed out and just stayed there, waiting for a sign it was okay for him to move. Ben appreciated it.  
He breathed in and out, in and out, to keep himself relaxed during that moment. It didn't hurt that much anymore, but the burn was still there and it was strong.

Ben was hit with the sudden realization, that he _did it._ He got what he had always wanted for himself, he got married and he was about to receive the mating bite during his first time with the one he loved. The first and only person who would ever seen him like this, touch him like this was his _mate._

Waiting hadn't been easy, on the contrary actually, there were days where he was so close to just doing it already. But right now he was grateful he stayed true to what he had really wanted from the start. It felt extra especial that way.

"You can m-move." He said. "Just... be gentle, ok?" Of course he trusted Harry to do it, but it didn't hurt to ask.

"Of course, love." He assured, smiling at him. "I wouldn't do it any other way." With that, he started thrusting.

The thrusts were slow and small, really as gentle as they could possibly be. The uncomfortable burn mixed with the pleasure, in a way that Ben could barely tell the two apart anymore. He just knew he was feeling a lot of different things.

He could feel Harry everywhere, he had never felt as much _Harry's_ as he did at that moment, having him inside, making him part of Ben himself.

Eventually he picks up the pace a little, and Ben _really_ enjoys that. He throws his head back again, and Harry takes that as an invitation to suck and lick on the skin that was just presented to him. It makes the omega whine.

"You f-feel so good... waited so long..." Harry pants, eyes closed in ecstasy. "Hm, darling..." Even though he wasn't coherent enough to properly form the sentences, Ben got it and he felt just the same.

He goes a little harder after that, and Ben is moaning so loudly, he couldn't control himself. This was just so good, all the contact, all the _fire,_ the dragging of Harry inside of him. It felt unreal, he almost wondered if it was just an elaborated dream.

But it wasn't. It was very real, and got even better as the Alpha found his sweet spot again, and goodness, it was everything. He couldn't wait to spend a heat with Harry, knowing it would be so much more satisfying.

He saw Harry smirking as he thrusted against that spot again, and again. He knew exactly what he was doing to Ben and he was proud of it.

The omega knew that there would be some bruises on his hips from how hard his lover was holding on to them as he did start to thrust wildly, but he didn't mind the marks. It felt too good for him to even think of anything outside of that moment.

"O-oh, God... Harry..." He cries out. "Please, more..." He's not even sure more what exactly, he was really already out of it. The Alpha speeds up, so Ben figured he might have meant that.

He knows it wouldn't take him that much to come from then on and Harry must have felt the same thing, because at that moment he licked a long stripe on Ben's neck before biting it _hard._

Ben felt it breaking his skin, he felt the blood trickling down and he felt it _hurt like hell._ He actually screamed as the teeth sank in his soft skin.It was kind of an wild act, mating, but it was intimate too.

He felt the moment something changed inside of him, the second he truly became one with his lover for eternity. It was almost like he could sense their souls touching for the very first time. There was no other words to describe it, except for _magical._

Eventually the pain started to die down, the skin on his neck feeling mostly numb, and he could focus again on Harry snapping his hips against him.

He planned on telling the Alpha he was about to come, but suddenly Harry's hands were around his dick again and he was already over the edge. It took only two strokes for him to spill.

"F-fuck, Harry..." He moaned out loudly, not even noticing what had slipped his mouth.

He felt that it was it for Harry, his thrusts loosing rhythm as he was about to come.  
 _"Mine."_ He used his Alpha voice to say it, an his knot grew and it filled Ben with his seed.

The knot created a different sensation as it tied them together, stretching him even more, and the burn did come back. But Ben felt so relaxed and happy, he barely cared about the slight discomfort. The feeling of Harry's come being inside of him compensated for that. 

They spent a good half a minute trying to get their breath before either of them talked again.

"Hey... are you okay?" Harry asked, eventually. He was still breathing hard. "Was this okay? Was it... like you've dreamed?"

"Much better than that." He assured, smiling wildly at his lover. "It was perfect. And now I'm really yours, every way I could be."  
He touched the bite mark slightly, wincing as he did. Yeah, the skin was definitely sensitive and it would be like that for a few days.

"Does it still hurt?" The Alpha asked, worry written on all of his features. "Did it hurt too much when I did it?"

Harry literally still had the omega's blood on his teeth and the side of his lips as he spoke. It should be intimidating or scary, but it was just... wild. Like it was supposed to be.

"Oh, it did hurt a lot." He said, honestly. "But now is a little... numb, maybe? But you still shouldn't touch it." Harry nodded.

They just stayed a full minute in a completely comfortable silence, pecking each other lips occasionally.  
That is, until Harry let out a little laugh.  
"I can't believe I actually made you swear." He said.

Ben covered his eyes with his hands, already knowing he was blushing.  
"Oh my God, please don't mention it ever again." He said, but he already knew the Alpha wouldn't do that. 

"Are you kidding?" He laughed. "I'm going to brag about this until the day I die, yer highness." Ben rolled his eyes, but ended up laughing with him.

The truth is, he was so happy that even the teasing felt good. Everything about that moment felt perfect and he knew it would be forever imprinted into his mind.

Being tied to Harry, being intimate with him, being _mated_ to him might feel like a dream, but he knew it was real. It was the start of yet another chapter in his life, one he had been waiting years and years to get to, and he already knew it would be the most especial one.

He couldn't wait for the marriage anniversaries, spending heats and ruts together, having kids and watching them grow, bickering when they're an old married couple...

Ben just couldn't wait to spend his whole life with the love of his life by his side.

**The end.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for the epilogue coming soon.  
> Oh, next chapter I'll post the name, on the end notes, of the songs that name each chapter of this fic. Kind of like a playlist?   
> Thank you for being part of the journey! ❤


	28. I'll give you the best years - Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The "happily ever after" they all deserve.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last update for this fic. I both mourn and celebrate that we reached this point. Thank you for everything. I hope you guys loved this fic at least half as much as I do! Enjoy♡  
> And for the first time ever... NO WARNINGS APPLY. This is just pure fluff and joy.

T E N Y E A R S L A T E R

"Love, could you get Benedict's bag for me, please?" Ben yelled, as he tried fix his three-year old son's hair before they had to leave. The toddler was sitting on his bed, distracted with one of his favorite toys.

Benedict, also known as Benny, was the cutest thing ever and both his parents loved him more than anything in this world. They had planned a lot and were overjoyed the day Ben found out he really was pregnant.

The little boy had chubby cheeks that everyone wanted to pinch, the bluest eyes ever, which he clearly got from daddy, and light brown hair, just like his papa. Harry and Ben usually say he is the perfect mix of their best parts.

"This one? Is everything in here?" Harry showed up holding a red bag with a little crown drawing on the front. "Did you see what time is it? We're going to be late for the baby shower."

Even though Harry had claimed he wanted nothing to do with royal business, he did find his job in a pretty noble position. He ended up becoming a consultant for Auradon's navy, which he actually enjoyed a lot.

He didn't have to work everyday, only when he was needed, and he got to share all the knowledge he got from being a pirate all of his life. Looking back, he was actually pretty proud of himself.

He got to be close to the sea, got to be close to ships. He really couldn't complain. Helping with strategies felt a little like being a pirate, and he always got nostalgic when working with things like this. But in a good way.

"Yeah, this one." Ben said. "We're almost done here, right, Benny?"  
The toddler nodded with a smile, bouncing his little legs excitedly.

"Are happy you get to play with Gabe again today?" Harry asks, smiling at his son.

The Alpha admits when Ben first talked about wanting a baby he kind of freaked out. It wasn't that he didn't want kids, he did so desperately, but how could he ever be a good parent? How could he be sure he wouldn't break his kid the same way Hook had broken him?

But eventually, Ben got him to see reason and he was _so_ glad he did. Harry had never felt greater love than the moment he first held his newborn son in his arms, wanting to protect him from everything in the world. All the trouble and restless nights were absolutely worth it.

Yeah, to this day he still lived with the overwhelming fear of being a failure as a father, but he figured that every parent always felt a little like that. There was no recipe on how to be a good parent, after all.

"Yes!" Benedict yelled. He was a generally outgoing child, who liked to play with others and little Gabe was his best friend ever.

"And... we're done." Ben said, taking his son in his arms to help him to reach the ground. "Ready to go?"

"Where, Papa?" The child asked, holding his father's hand so they could get going anyway.

"I've told you, don't you remember?" Ben said and the little boy shook his head. "It's ok. Gabe is going to have a little sister and we're going to her baby shower."

"Remember we showed you pics of your baby shower? When you were still inside Papa's belly?" Harry asked and Benedict nodded. "It's just like that."

Ben took the gift they were going to give their friends and the family exited the castle, quickly getting into the royal limousine waiting for them outside.

The omega couldn't be any happier about his life at the moment. He had a mate he loved, he had a son he absolutely adored and the best friends he could ask for, ever. And he'd also say he was being a pretty good King so far.

Of course, none of these came easy. It wasn't like his life was perfect, there's no such thing. Sometimes he and Harry fought, sometimes Benedict would throw tantrums and sometimes he had no idea what decision to take for his kingdom. But they always found a way, _together_. And that's everything he had ever wanted.

They spent the whole way to Carlos, Jay and Gil's house listening to Benny sing 'wheels on the bus' happily, just like he always did when they got into a car.

Once they arrived, Jay went outside to welcome them.  
"Hey, guys." He said, already hugging them. "It's been almost a month since I last saw the three of you, I can't believe this."

"We missed you too, Jay." Ben said, and then handed the gift to his friend.

"Thanks, I'll give it to 'Los." The Alpha answered, smiling at the cute pastel colored present wrap.

Jay made a big name for himself on tourney, just like the people who loved him knew he would. He was now a famous athlete, a big star.  
It did mean he traveled a lot, but be tried to take his family with hin during every travel he could, not wanting to miss a second with them.

He had played for many different teams during all of these years, each time getting himself a bigger and better deal. It didn't came easy to him, he had to really fight to archive his dreams.

Currently, he played for the biggest team in Auradon and he was part of many decisive games for them. And he wouldn't have come so far without the support from his mates.

Yeah, his _mates_. He got mated to Gil and Carlos the minute Carlos graduated from college, five years ago. And they did throw their own kind of ceremony; but they got the bites first and then threw a party to celebrate.

It was their own twist at the whole thing, no specific color thing, no tunic and no veil. Just a quick ceremony with their closest friends, a non-traditional marriage officiant they found online, and a killer party so everyone could have fun right after. Nothing about their union was traditional, after all.

Once an Alpha's bite is healed on an omega's neck, they can't mate with another one, but biting one right after the other made him capable of being mated to both.   
Yep, there was literally a loophole in biology.

"Hey, buddy." Jay kneeled on the ground to talk to Benedict, raising a hand for to boy to give him a high five. "Wow, you've gotten so strong. Hey, do you know what we have there?" He pointed to his own lawn behind him.

"What?" The boy asked, excitedly.

"A big bouncy house for you to play in!" He said and the little boy beamed, letting go of his Papa's hand and running inside the place without a second thought.

"Why do I feel like he will mess up his new clothes in like, two minutes?" Ben asked, making both Alphas laugh.

"Because he will and you know it." Harry was blunt in his answer, but looked at his mate lovingly.

"If it makes you feel any better, Gabe is exactly the same." Jay said. "I bet there will be little left of his new shirt after today."

Gabe was his two year old son. Biologically, he was Jay and Gil's, but they decided to raise their children as an unit, no distinctions made. Gabriel had his Daddy, his Dada and his Dad all who loved him unconditionally and that was all that mattered.

The toddler was a little shy, but very affective with the ones he loved. He was absolutely adorable, his skin tan like Jay's and his blond locks that were much like Gil's. An angel, if you asked Jay.

"Come in, guys. Most of the gang is already here." Jay said, smiling at his friends. As soon as they entered a smiley Gil came running to talk to them.

"I've missed you so much!" He said hugging both of them at the same time.

"I've literally seen you last week." Harry said, but hugged back just as tightly.

"Well, yeah, but it was so quick." Gil reminded him. "And I haven't seen Ben in like... a month? That's too much time."

"Agreed." Ben said. "But we're here now to make up for that time."

Gil had took his time deciding what he wanted to do with his life, but once he found it, he knew it was the right thing to do. There was a training center for kids in Auradon, where there were lots of sports available, and he decided to start training a tourney team there.

The kids he trained were ages 12-15 and he genuinely felt like what he did helped them, so he loved every minute of it. He wished he had had this opportunity when he was their age, but he was happy to provide for others what he never had the chance to enjoy.

Many of the kids had been either born on the Isle or were descendants of people who did. Which made Gil see a little bit of himself in every single kid he trained.

He had an assistant, a beta girl who was only a little younger than him, so she trained the team when he had to travel with Jay, because of the Alpha's job. Everything about it fell perfectly into his life.

"Where's my godson?" He asked, not seeing the toddler with his friends and frowning a little.

"Take a guess." Harry said, raising his eyebrows.

"Bouncy house?" He asked and both of his friends nodded. "C'mon, I'm going to get Carlos so we can all take a picture."

Gil had learned a long time ago that was that recovery was a non-linear process and that remained true to this date. He wasn't magically healed from everything that happened to him in the past, everything that hurt him. None of that would just be forgotten by him.

But time, therapy and people who loved him did a great job of making him feel okay again. The last time he had had a panic attack over what had happened to him was over four years ago.   
It didn't mean he didn't have good and bad days, it just meant he started having way more good than bad ones. He still had occasional nightmares every once in a while, after all you can't put a deadline on recovery, but didn't wake up screaming anymore.  
In fact, most of the time he didn't even think about it at all.

All in all, forgetting was impossible, what happened to him was part of his history. But he was in a great place, both physically and mentally at the moment and that's all he had ever wanted.

"Hey, 'Los. " Gil said, as soon as he saw him. "Ben and Harry are here!"   
Carlos turned around to face them, a smile on his face.

"You made it!" He greeted, cheerfully. "It's getting kinda weird hugging people by this point, 'cause... you know." He pointed to his own belly.   
He was wearing a red crop top, so that people could see his beautiful pregnant belly.

Carlos had been actually worried that maybe it was twins, since his belly was just _so_ big. But the doctor assured him that it was just a big baby.  
It's a baby girl and they decided to name her Carina.

She had come kind of as a surprise, all three of them had been planing on waiting a little before having more kids, but, by now, Carlos was on the eighth month and couldn't wait to meet his baby. He already loved her so damn much.

"Don't worry, I get it." Ben said. "You've gotten so much bigger since last month."

"Yeah, this little girl is already growing too fast." He said, then winced. "She's moving a lot too. You wanna feel?"

Carlos got a degree in computer science. He worked autonomously, taking requests from different companies to write and program softwares for them. He genuinely had fun doing his job, and he had a flexible schedule, which was great for him.

He had always liked this kid of thing, creating and improving stuff, even when he was still on the Isle. So, once school was over for him, he had no doubts which paths to take. He had found his passion, already.

Going to college had been kind of a scary thing, all those new people and new experiences. Absolutely a whole new world for him to discover. But he managed to do it, and the outcome was the the best possible.

"She definitely will have lots of energy." Ben said, feeling the baby kick against his hand.   
After that, they took many fun pictures together, in front of the main table. All the decorations were in red and white, and they were really pretty. You could tell there was a lot of work and love on everything there.

Soon, everyone was sitting in a big table, where Evie and Mal were already waiting for them.

It took them five years, but they finally managed to be more open regarding their relationship, and by that time they were already living together.   
Evie, of course, was still making the best clothes in the kingdom. Now, she had her own fashion show that happened once a year in Auradon and everyone was proud of her. Mal decided to make art her career, but she also decided not to be a big, celebrity level artist.

She made what she liked, occasionally accepted a commission and sometimes was engaged with art galleries. She wanted to keep it simple, but she put her heart into every single piece.

"Hey, boys." Evie greeted, smiling at them. "Where is Benny?"

"Probably in the bouncy house." Mal took a guess and Ben nodded in response. Kids where just obsessed with these things, and Benedict really had a lot of energy.

Mal and Evie had no kids, and they had no real plans to have them. They didn't really talk about it with others, but they seem pretty happy with what they had going on. They felt like their lives was already complete, somehow.

Talking about kids, Gabe and Benedict were the best of friends. Even though the one year gap between the two of them really made a difference in that age, it didn't really matter to them. Benny talked way more, being both older and more outgoing, but they managed to understand each other somehow.

Gabriel was the first baby that Benedict had ever met, back when he was just one year old himself. And they had been almost inseparable ever since.

Gabe didn't fully understand what the fact he was about to get a little sister meant, and he definitely didn't understand why said little sister was inside his dad's belly. But all three of his fathers tried to introduce him to the idea bit by bit, showing him the new crib, letting him touch the new baby clothes, letting him feel the baby move... He actually found that last part really fun.

"Guys, I'm so sorry I'm late." It didn't take long for Uma to arrive and sit with them. "Traffic was really a nightmare." She handed Jay a really big box all wrapped up with a pretty blue bow on top of it.

"What's even this, Uma?" Gil asked, looking at the huge present. "I mean, not that I'm not grateful, but jeez."

Uma wanted a job where she could be close to the sea, and she managed that by being a commercial diver. She had some special training outside of Auradon, and got her certification with no problem. Being away from home for those few months was difficult, but it was an adventure and she had always loved those.

Her work was mostly repairing ships, especially the ship's hull, and occasionally getting information about marine life. Once, she had retrieved a few things from a wrecked ship and she had never felt more alive than at that moment. She had found her vocation.

She was really good at what she did, Uma was a natural at it. Well, quite literally. She didn't even need an oxygen tank since, being Ursula's child, she could breathe underwater just fine.

Nowadays, she still lived in a ship, but a bigger, more comfortable one that she managed to buy. She would always love her first ship, though.  
That's why instead of selling it, she talked to Ben and they transformed it into a small museum, only for Isle related stuff.

They wanted the next generations to remember the Isle existed and know how it was. It might have been a bad place, but it had existed and couldn't be forgotten. After all, you need to know history not to repeat it, right?

"I'm the cool aunt" Uma said. "I have to give the coolest gifts, obviously."

"Hey, I thought I was the cool aunt." Mal complained, half-heartedly only

"You wish." Uma answered, laughing a little. " By the way, are Gabe and Benny already running and jumping around?" Everyone nodded at that, they all knew how the kids were.

Uma and Gil were Benedict's godparents. Ben had agreed to let Harry chose, making him promise that when they had another kid, it would be his turn. And Harry, of course, chose his crewmates.

The two of them had talked about it for a while, having more kids. Ben had always wanted a big family, and Harry ended up feeling the same once Benny was born. They just weren't sure when it would be the best time... maybe once their son started school?

"I can't believe we're all finally together." Carlos said. "When was the last time this happened? Three months ago? I think, maybe even more..."

They saw each other frequently, but it was difficult to gather everyone together. They usually managed to hang out in smaller groups, but to find time in all eight schedules was really difficult.

Sometimes Ben, Gil and Carlos would go watch a movie while their Alphas took care of the children, sometimes Mal would manage to get all of her gang together... but bigger reunions like these were a little more difficult.

"Yeah, right?" Evie said. "So many schedules to check, making sure everyone is free... it's a miracle we are all here."

"And all because of our little Carina." Jay said, gently caressing Carlos' belly. The look he had on his face was one of utter love and affection.

Jay had always wanted to be a father. He wanted to give a child all the love and protection his father never gave him. He wanted to be better than Jafar had been to him.

Carlos felt somewhat the same. He had always dreamed about having a big family,when they were young back on the Isle, he would already think about several mini hims and Jays running around a dream house.

Gil was the most caution one, at first. He knew he did want children, but the idea terrified him at the same time. Being completely responsible for a tiny, defenseless human? Scared the fuck out of him.  
But he decided to dive into fatherhood regardless of that and it was the best decision he could have ever made.

All he knew was that he loved his children more than anything in the whole world and, unlike his father, he would still love them once they presented, regardless of whether they are Alphas, omegas or betas.

"We should all do something together again this week." Gil suggested. "Jay's not traveling for his job again until our daughter is born, so we're all staying in Auradon for the time being."

"We really should. Since my paternity leave started I've been doing nothing except feeling sorry for myself and my swollen feet." Carlos said. "Seriously, it hurts like hell."

"I feel you. In the last three months of pregnancy, my feet were killing me literally all the time." Ben said. "But yeah, we should totally hang out this week."

"It just needs to be before friday." Evie let them know. "We'll be travelling to watch a fashion show in another kingdom."

"Yeah, no problem." Jay said. "So, maybe we could do it on Wednesday?"

It didn't matter how much time they spent apart, whenever they were all together they felt like they went back in time. Nostalgic, in the best possible way.   
After all, they all loved each other. They grew up together, they had a bond that nothing could ever break.

Nothing would make Gil forget how much Uma and Harry helped him, took care of him, when he needed it the most. Carlos, Jay, Evie and Mal would always remember how they were best together, how they had always completed each other.

Time and distance could try, but would never manage to grow these people apart. They had history, the kind of history that never dies.

"Daddy!" They all turned when they heard a small voice approaching them. Jay immediately got up from his seat to tend to the little boy.

"What happened, Gabe?" He asked, looking at the toddler who had tears in his bright brown eyes. Gabriel pointed to his own knees, which were all scratched. "Oh, baby, did you fell?"

He nodded and raised his little arms in the air so his daddy could pick him up.

"Is he okay?" Carlos asked, both him and Gil getting up with matching worried frowns.

"Yeah, he just needs a band-aid. Gabe is a strong boy, right, buddy?" The kid nodded shyly at Jay. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it." He took his son inside the house, so he could help him.

"Why do I get the feeling that Jay is the one who spoils him the most?" Mal said, laughing a little.

"Because he obviously is." Gil agreed. "Thank Evil Gabe is a good boy, then we can pretend Jay spoiling him is rewarding and not just Jay being Jay."

Carlos laughed too.  
"Honestly, I hope Carina is the same." He said. "Oh, have I told you her room is finally ready?"

"Really?" Ben asked. "I bet it looks beautiful. You guys did a great job when Gabe was born."

"We can take you there later." Gil offered. "It's really nice. Jay insisted on putting the crib together alone, without reading the instructions _again_ _."_

"That sounds just like him." Evie said, all of them laughing out loud at Jay's behaviour.

"And guess what?" Carlos asked. "He had exactly as much trouble as last time. Just like we told him he would!"

"Well, but he ended up managing to do a good job, in the very end." Gil admitted.

"I never had the chance to help with Benny's crib, since Ben had the audacity to hire someone to put it together." Harry complained, but you could see it was just harmless teasing.

Ben laughed a little at that, rolling his eyes fondly at his mate.  
"You never told me you wanted to do it." He half-complained.

Soon Jay was back at the table again.  
"Hey, what did I miss?" He asked, pecking both of his mates on the lips right after that.

"We were just talking about cribs." Uma supplied, but he groaned, knowing they were definitely talking about his lack of skill with crib pieces.

"How is Gabe?" Carlos asked, worried about his son. He knew it was probably nothing major, but he worried anyway.

"He's fine. I washed it, put that one ointment on it and then a Captain America band-aid over it." Jay said. "He's excited about the band-aid now."

"Kids are the best, aren't they?" Ben said, smiling and looking at where all the children were playing.

"Does it mean you have more on the way?" Mal asked, wiggling her eyebrows playfully at him.

"No. I mean... not right now, at least." Ben said. "Probably once Benny starts going to school?"

"That's nice." Mal said. "But if I am not the godmother this time I will literally murder both of you."  
They all laughed at that, they had missed all the teasing they did when all of them were together.

There was a lot of love going on in that group. And they were all out there having the time of their lives, with children to raise and partners to love, having the best years of their lives, but they did their best to find time to create moments like this.

Most of them had built their own family, after all, a decade had passed and they weren't kids anymore, but all of them together also formed their own special kind of family.

Most of the VK's understood more than other people how family didn't always mean blood. Just ask Gil, who turned to his friends when he got kicked out of his house or Harry, who chose friendship instead of his own blood all those years ago. Even Ben, who came from a loving family, had learned with his friends how feelings were the most important thing to build a family.

And they all had built beautiful families: the royal family with their adorable toddler and their plans to have more, our favorite trio with their angelic son and their daughter who was about to come, Mal and Evie who were a family even without children, Uma's crew, Mal's gang...

And, of course, the big family they all were part of.  
  
  


**Thank you for reading.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where are the title lyrics from?   
> Title of the fic itself : When the party is over - Billie Eilish  
> Chapter 1: Demons - Imagine Dragons  
> Chapter 2: Castle - Halsey  
> Chapter 3: Drive - Halsey  
> Chapter 4: A million men - Melanie Martinez  
> Chapter 5: Three - Britney Spears  
> Chapter 6: Shape of you - Ed Sheeran  
> Chapter 7: Beautiful people - Ed Sheeran  
> Chapter 8: Title - Meghan Trainor  
> Chapter 9: Last friday night - Katy Perry  
> Chapter 10: Broken pieces - 5SOS  
> Chapter 11: Safe inside - James Arthur  
> Chapter 12: Count on me - Big Tim Rush ft Jordin Sparks   
> Chapter 13: Wrapped around your finger - 5SOS  
> Chapter 14: Photograph - Ed Sheeran  
> Chapter 15: Kiss me Kiss me - 5SOS  
> Chapter 16: Afire love - Ed Sheeran  
> Chapter 17: Fools - Troye Sivan  
> Chapter 18: Teddy bear - Melanie Martinez  
> Chapter 19: Idontwannabeyouanymore - Billie Eilish  
> Chapter 20: If I could fly - One direction  
> Chapter 21: Blue knees - Melanie Martinez  
> Chapter 22: They don't know about us - One direction  
> Chapter 23: AM - One direction  
> Chapter 24: Just hold on - Louis Tomlinson  
> Chapter 25: A house is not a home - Luther Vandross (but I knew it from Glee, I admit)  
> Chapter 26: Fly away - 5SOS  
> Chapter 27: Never worn white - Katy Perry  
> Epilogue: Best years - 5SOS
> 
> Thank you♡

**Author's Note:**

> Please, read the notes at the beginning. They are important.  
> Comments are greatly appreciated and kind critics are welcomed.  
> All titles for this work come from songs, if you want to know which one for specific chapters, feel free to ask me.


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